February 6 Personal Responsibility 2 Thessalonians 3:10
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)
“It is not my fault!” “It is their fault, because they kept me from getting it!” All of us have heard the excuses of individuals that refuse to take personal responsibility for their actions and their lives. I am not going to debate the political and social issues associated with this fact, however, I am going to address the role and responsibility of the Believer to stand strong and take responsibility for our own actions. For as long as I can remember, my Daddy told me a simple, yet, profound truth: “In this life, if you don’t work, you don’t eat!!” Amazingly, as I continue to age, I am witnessing a serious and concerning shift to a society that is becoming more dependent on someone else for their livelihood. Satan and his minions have systematically indoctrinated generations that they are not responsible for their actions. Someone else has caused their bad decisions and the sorry state of their lives. I was watching a program, several days ago, and the reporter was interviewing a number of people, asking them about their personal lives. The reporter interviewed seven people and six out of the seven declared that their conditions of their lives were the responsibility of someone else. They were not going to take personal responsibility for their own situation. I thought back to my Daddy and the wonderful training that he provided. Folks; when a city is going to provide a “Guaranteed income” to its population, and a government is going to provide resources, with no responsibilities from the receiver, it seems to me that these actions promote a lack of personal responsibility. The scriptures tell us that we are to “Take care of the widows and orphans,” but it does not tell us that we should take care of able bodied individuals that are able to work!! I asked Daddy why he made me work, and his answer was difficult for me to understand, at least at six years old. He said, “Because I love you!” Pay attention! This is not a political lesson; this is a Spiritual and Physical Fact! We are required to provide for ourselves and our families and that is the way that God ordained. The idea that we are not responsible for our own actions is founded and grounded in Satan. Believers, we are to be grounded and founded in the Love of God and we are to take responsibility for our own actions and we are not to blame others for our own issues. My brother, Ronnie Faulkner, always says, “All God’s Children have issues!” That is a true statement! John 16:33 tells us that, in this life, we WILL all have tribulation, but, because we are HIS, we are OVERCOMERS!! Serving God in the beauty of Holiness requires our full and complete surrender to Him and that does not include blaming others for our own shortcomings and failures! I have the privilege of having a friend that constantly tells me that I am the “Luckiest” man he knows. My response to him is profound and Biblical: “The harder that I work, the Luckier I become!” Friends, we have a responsibility to serve God, to share Jesus, to pray without ceasing, to study and learn His Word, and to be RESPONSIBLE WITNESSES FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!