REVEALING GOD DEVOTIONAL - TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
It is another glorious day to be alive, and I am happy to share a thought with you. Today, I want to write about taking responsibility because in Christianity there are two kinds of Christians: the baby Christian and the mature Christian. Naturally, we know that a child would rather play or do what seems pleasurable to his flesh than work, but a mature person would rather choose what is more meaningful and profitable rather than playing. God does not expect a baby Christian to be totally responsible, but He expects them to grow spiritually to become more responsible. That is the heart desire of God for many Christians because it is only when Christians are mature that God can really use them for His will. Moreover, it is only when they are responsible that they can really take full possession of their inheritance in Christ.
You won’t want to buy a car for your baby, and even if you would, you will not allow them to drive it till they are of age; if not, that gift might be their last. That is why God would not want to put certain gifts in the hands of immature believers because they might cause them to backslide, and we would certainly not be able to handle them yet. I know many of us have been praying for some things, but God will not be able to give them to you now until you grow up to be more responsible and able to handle and take care of them.
The truth is that when we pray for something and God gives it to us, we need to be responsible to keep it, and a child cannot do that. A child is really no different from a servant in the kingdom of God but must be put under teachers to be trained. The scripture says, “That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father” (Galatians 4:1-2).
Taking responsibility is all about accountability without the need for any supervision. As Christians, we must learn to be accountable to God because even though He is not physically present with us, He has set a day when He will ask everyone to give account of how they have lived their lives on this earth. Our lives are actually a gift from God, and with it comes the responsibility to keep and use it properly to glorify God. The scripture says, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Everyone is born with at least one talent to make a profit for God, but it can only be fully utilised when a person is born again. Jesus told a parable of how a master who was travelling for a long journey gave three of his servants different numbers of talents according to each one’s ability. The first was given five talents, the next two, and the last one. I guess that God gave this last person only one talent because He knew he would probably waste it. So one day their master returned and started to ask each of them to account for how they used their talents. The first two people, who had five and two, had doubled their talents, but the one with the least talent buried his in the sand, only to return it back just as he was given. The master was disappointed with him and took the talent from him and gave it to the one who had more. As for him, his master punished him severely (Matthew 25:14-30).
The moral of this parable was all about taking responsibility and the consequences of not doing so. It was Adam’s lack of taking full responsibility that caused the fall of mankind. When God created Adam, He immediately gave him the responsibility to keep and guard the Garden of Eden, but because he failed to guard and keep the devil out of it, the devil was able to get in and tempt Eve (Genesis 3:1-8).
And after they were asked by God why they did what they did, they were busy pointing accusing fingers, which even more shows their failure in taking responsibility. Blaming others for whatever they did to you or allowing what someone did to you shape your future is a clear indication that you are not taking responsibility for your life. Joyce Meyer, a great female televangelist of these times, was raped by her father several times in her teenage years but she didn’t allow that to stop her. By the grace of God she had to learn how to take responsibility over her life, and you must do the same no matter what has happened to you in the past. Taking responsibility over your life today will align you with your destiny tomorrow.
We as Christians need to take responsibility for our lives and not only our lives but also the assignment God has created us to fulfil on the earth so that we will not be failures in heaven. Our assignment is never about us but about taking responsibility to help others. We must not misunderstand earthly success for divine fulfilment because there are many Christians who have chosen to misuse the talent God has given them to make themselves successful on earth but failures in heaven. For example, some people who have singing talents use that talent to glorify the world. I was happy when I found out that the rapper, popularly known as the late DMX, had repented of using his talent to serve the devil and to serve God. Whatever talent you have was given to you by God for His glory, and not for any other reason. Divine success is only attributed to taking responsibility over the gifts and talents God has given you and not throwing them away by not using them or using them to satisfy your own desires.
One responsibility that has been given to all Christians is to preach the gospel. I think we can all start there as a form of taking responsibility as Christians — to tell others about Christ, so that it won’t be too late for others to know Him. The rich man in the story Jesus told us regarding the rich man and Lazarus was only ready to share the gospel with his brothers when he was in hell, and at that time it was too late (Luke 16:19-31).
And if you are already taking some responsibility in life and you are craving more responsibility, you need to be totally faithful in what you are presently doing for the Lord before God can add more responsibility to your present responsibility. Have a blessed day!
Today’s Reading:
Luke 16, Matthew 25, Proverbs 29---
Nevertheless, if you are not born again, you can do so today by saying this simple prayer below out with your mouth in faith, believing that Jesus Christ died and rose again for your sins.
Prayer for Salvation
Dear Lord, I believe Jesus died and rose again for me. Forgive me my sins and come into my life. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. Thank you Father for doing this for me. Reveal yourself to me today. In Jesus name, Amen.
Congrats, your status has changed to that of a child of God, if you said this prayer in faith.