Winston Churchill
The greatest tragedy in the world today is not war, terrorism, terminal diseases, global warming, hurricanes, earthquakes, domestic violence, corruption, or economic crises. It is irresponsibility. There is nothing in the world as destructive as life without purpose. It is the cause of all the problems we face in our communities, families, businesses, churches, and institutions today. Irresponsible people are the “U” grade citizens of our communities. They are:
Undependable,
Unanswerable to authority,
Unreliable,
Unstable,
Unable to respond to conscience,
Unpredictable,
Uncommitted,
Untrustworthy,
Undisciplined,
Uninformed,
Unlearned…
And the list goes on and on and on…
Let’s get back to the source of this tragedy
Despite all the attributes of irresponsible behaviour listed above, I believe that the number one cause of irresponsibility is the blame-shifting attitude of mankind. The blame-shifting game started far back in the Garden of Eden with our first parents, Adam and Eve. Adam blamed Eve for giving him the forbidden fruit and Eve blamed the serpent for being deceived. Neither Adam nor Eve was willing to take responsibility for their actions. From there on, irresponsibility was born, and it multiplied maliciously in the bloodline of every human being.
Look around the world today; you’ll notice that almost everyone feels comfortable blaming someone for something that goes wrong. We, humans, have refused to take responsibility for our actions and the ripple effect is spreading widely all over the globe. We have diverted our attention to things that God did not call us to do. We have violated stewardship and everything in the world seems to work against us. We blame the government for not being employed; we blame our spouses for the waywardness of our children; we blame our parents for our poverty; we blame our boss for the frustration at work; and funny enough, we still blame the devil today in most of our prayers for all the evil things happening to us.
Have we lost our minds? I believe so. Just as Eve blamed the serpent in the Garden of Eden for deceiving her, that is exactly how we blame the devil today for all the evil things happening to, and around us.
Why have we suddenly forgotten that the devil has no power over us? Even though the devil’s mission is to kill, to steal, and to destroy, we are more than conquerors. Even if you’ve been raped, or abused by someone in the past, you still have power over that situation. There is no justification for committing suicide, or putting up an irrational behavior on the pretext that you were poorly treated by someone; or that something wrong happened in your life beyond your control.
Despite the challenges we face in our society today, the good news is that God has given each one of us an opportunity to rewrite our wrongs. He loved us so much, and in response to His love, sent His only son Christ Jesus to come down to earth and teach us how to live as ambassadors of His heavenly kingdom.
To become an ambassador of God’s kingdom, you need to study the King’s manual on how to apply His kingdom principles. If you understand God’s idea on how to operate the things He has entrusted into your hands, you will become a responsible steward. There is no self-help book that can replace the authentic principles outlined in the Holy Scriptures. It gives you first-hand wisdom on how to retrace your steps and live an honorable life.
Who is responsible?
A vast majority of people in the world today still believe that a responsible person is someone who is probably married, advanced in age, or perhaps holds a leadership position. But in reality, responsibility has little or nothing to do with some of the misconceptions we embrace in our society today. It has more to do with our belief system and the choices we make throughout our lifetime. Below are some common misconceptions people generally embrace on the concept of responsibility.
Married people are responsible people.
The rapidly increasing rate of divorce, domestic violence, vandalism, homicide and sexual abuse in our homes today cannot be attributed to any other cause other than the irresponsible choices made by some of our parents in the past. Because many married men and women are not committed to their spouses, we are all bound to be affected or infected by the wrong choices.
VIPs are responsible.
This is another blatant misconception widely embraced in most of our communities today. You cannot tell or measure how responsible a person is, just by observing them from their looks or their personality. Gorgeous looks, warm smiles, and gentleness are all factors that minimally equate to responsibility. Do not make hasty conclusions from first impressions. In fact, some of the most deceitful and cunning people in the world today are dressed in suits like VIPs. Most of them hide their true character in their supposedly diplomatic suits so that they can lure people into mischievous deeds.
“Men of God” are responsible people.
This is another web which easily entangles people who put their trust in “men of God” rather than, in God. Do not always assume that anyone who calls the name of Jesus, speaks in tongues, cast demons, or preach powerfully from the pulpit is a responsible person. Anyone who acts contrarily to what he or she preaches is a “blame-shifter,” and that is an act of irresponsibility. There are countless people in the world today who’ve been scammed by their supposed “men of God.” There are also many shocking statistics of “men of God” who’ve filed in for divorce; Men of God” caught in adultery, “Men of God” involved in illicit sexual practices, and “Men of God” involved in occultism. As you would notice, I keep writing “men of God” in quotes because there are equally some faithful Men from God existing in the world today.
Leaders are responsible people.
Nowadays, it is common to see people use a wrong criterion to select people for leadership positions. If they are outspoken, rich, charismatic or physically fit, we erroneously assume that they are responsible enough to become our leaders. So, we choose them as our leaders simply because we assume that individuals with such traits are responsible. This idea is misleading. A leadership position has little or nothing to do with an individual’s true nature of responsibility. Positions do not make people responsible. People become responsible to occupy a position, and not otherwise.
Elderly people are responsible people
Age has nothing to do with how responsible a person is. Responsibility is not measured based on age. It is based on choices and belief system. A teenager can be more responsible than a 50-year-old adult who doesn’t stick to his commitments. Responsibility is not all about doing responsible things. It is an in-built lifestyle based on your belief system and your knowledge of the truth. Childishness is not a moral equivalence to irresponsibility, and maturity does not automatically equate to responsibility. A child who acts irresponsibly is not necessarily irresponsible so long as he has the right belief system. His age is simply a stage in life we all go through. If you train a child early enough to adopt the right belief system, he would grow up to become responsible. Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Rediscover yourself
Despite the many definitions put forth by theorists to explain the meaning of the term responsibility, I have come to the conclusion that responsibility is all about rediscovering who you are, and identifying what you were born to do. If you don’t have the answers to these fundamental questions about your life, you won’t be able to discipline yourself to live a responsible life. Responsibility is embedded in purpose, and discovering your life’s mission is an act of self-discovery. The lack of purpose is the cause of idleness, stagnation, and mediocrity in our communities today.
Scripture reveals to us that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” A simple definition of vision would be: an ability to see, to have sight, or foresight. People with no vision cannot rediscover themselves, so they perish even if they are not physically death because they have no idea of the potentials they possess. They keep seeing themselves like sheep and grasshoppers; not knowing they are eagles and lions.
Freedom of choice
I strongly believe it is problematic to think that God can do everything for you and equally choose what is good for you on your behalf. This kind of doctrine has caused many people to live an irresponsible life because they believe that they are saved by grace and that God would do everything for them even if they consciously choose to do evil.
God gives us instructions to follow, and with the help of the Holy Spirit guides us to stay on track. But if we choose not to listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance, whatever befalls us is based on our choices.
God has given mankind the freedom of choice. We are free to choose whether we want to go to heaven or not. If God chooses what is right for us to do on our behalf, life would be boring and meaningless. God respects the will of man; if not, He would have caused Adam and Eve to resist the devil. But He allowed them to act on their will for His purpose. This fact is clearly spelled out in the most popular verse in the Scripture. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The phrase, “whoever believes”, is a statement of choice. Your choices largely determine how responsible you are. God has given each one of us the freedom to choose between right and wrong. But often, we choose the wrong thing; not necessarily because of ignorance, but because it’s easier to do things that require no discipline on our part.
Freedom and responsibility
Looking at the rising propaganda of human rights in today’s 21st Century, it is becoming more difficult for people to rally against evil practices that prevail in our communities today because everyone fears the rights of others. Doing it right according to worldly standard has become the norm― which is why I believe the world is going nuts.
Freedom means many things to many people. To some, it means freedom of speech, financial freedom, freedom from slavery or freedom from the power of addiction. Jesus declared; “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” This is the most authentic pathway to a free-living life; knowing the truth. If we must do it right, it has to be according to the Creator’s principles. If God says it is wrong, no man-made principle can redefine it, and make it right. Anyone who alters God’s principles of life suffers the consequences. Choosing to be disciplined in everything you do qualifies you as a responsible person. You have to pay the price it takes to win―without which, you are irresponsible.
Freedom is attained when you live a life congruent with the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul remarks; “…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. If the Son of Man sets you free, you will be free indeed.Beth Banning and Neill Gibson wrote (Banning & Gibson, 2006).
‘The first step in experiencing the freedom you crave is to start responding to life’s situations in ways that are in harmony with your values. And the ability to respond in harmony with your values starts by redefining your relationship with “responsibility”. It’s through learning and practicing this quality of response-ability for what you value that you can begin to experience true freedom in your life.”
Freedom goes with discipline. Indiscipline is not true freedom. There are rules that when you break, you expose yourself to bondage. Responding to what you value as helpful and beneficial is what gives you true freedom.
The big idea
What is the source of your idea? What is your belief system? Your ideas shape your belief system. If you embrace the wrong idea, you will grow with a wrong belief system. And if you have the wrong belief system, there is no way you can become responsible. It is therefore important that you scrutinise the ideas you embrace in life.
To begin with, Man did not create an idea. God did. If you believe that God created heaven and earth, it will be unwise for you not to believe in Him because the world was created with His idea. The Word He used when He created heaven and earth is the Word He expressed in human form here on earth. While you may find it difficult to understand this concept of Christ being God (if only you do), I hold you on no account because God’s idea is a mystery that cannot be understood by every mind.
God’s big idea is simple. If your ideas are Christ-like, peace will reign. But if your ideas run contrary to God’s Word, calamity will abound. There is no reversal to this rule. Scrutinize every idea you hold onto, and see if it brings peace to you, and to your neighbour. Every good idea must bring peace to you (an inner fulfilling peace by virtue of the Holy Spirit) and peace to your community. We are challenged to revisit God’s idea and dwell on it so that we can build a healthy belief system.
4 assets God has entrusted into your hands
This book is divided into four main parts. It is entirely about four major assets God has entrusted into our hands. To become responsible, you need to understand and apply God’s principles of stewardship. You cannot operate God’s assets without understanding His divine principles. Once you start to think that you can use man-made principles to operate God’s belongings, you’ll definitely obstruct His divine purpose for your life.
At the beginning of creation, God created everything for His purpose and placed us in charge of the four major assets you are about to discover in this book.
- God gave Adam a Garden to manage (Treasure): Our garden is where we generate income for ourselves and for our families. Even though we are in charge of our work and our salary, everything we own belongs to God.
- God gave Adam the ability to manage the garden (Talent): God has equally given each one of us unique talents to make the world better than how we got into it. Each one of us has a unique calling from God which is connected to our life’s purpose. God expects us to present our talents to Him so that He can use us to bring change to the world.
- God gave Adam day and night to accomplish his work in the Garden (Time): God has given each one of us a set amount of time to accomplish the purpose for which we were created. If you are not making the best use of your time here on earth, God will hold you responsible for misusing his time.
- God gave Adam a suitable helper to work with him in the Garden (Team): God has given us our parents, our spouses, our friends, our co-workers, our neighbours, and our children as teammates so that we can work together to achieve His purpose. For this to happen, we must be accountable to one another.
If you are looking for answers to move forward in this age of ours, to identify your life’s mission, to discover your talent or career path, to build healthy relationships, to discover your leadership potential, and to manage your time well, this book is for you. It doesn’t have all the answers, but it will certainly spur you up to rethink over concepts that you’re probably not aware of. If you use divine principles to handle the four principal assets of stewardship mentioned in this book, you’ll definitely accomplish the purpose for which you were created.
Grab a copy of Divine Responsibility to learn more.
Enjoy your reading,
Love you lot’s
Jini.
