August 17, 2012
The Art of Accepting Responsibility
“We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until - we have stopped saying ‘It got lost’ and start saying ‘I lost it.’”
- Sidney J. Harris
Taking responsibility for ones own actions, decisions and deeds: is not a popularly embraced concept in today’s society. The trend is to blame others or the ever popular; ‘blame it on our childhood’ approach to justifying unacceptable behaviors seems to have become a national trend.
Recently I asked a group of Middle and High School students this: ‘At the end of a day; when all is said and done; who is ultimately responsible for the choices and decisions you made?’ One our two begrudgingly said, ‘we are’ but by in large the group felt that influences from individuals or entities around them bore most of the responsibility for causing them to make the choices they made; thus from their point of view baring a portion or at least a part of the responsibility for their actions.
But as William Shakespeare wrote in one of his plays, “The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”
How true this is spiritually speaking as well. When we sin, or disobey God, for isn’t that what sin is: we want to blame something outside of ourselves that influenced us, like stress, or responsibilities and demands on our time; or expectations from others: when ultimately a choice to yield to a temptation is ours to make and no one can force us unless we willingly choose to go or do whatever it is.
“A man may fall many times, but he won’t be a failure until he says that someone pushed him.”
- Elmer B. Letterman
But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:21-24
First to receive God’s gift of salvation and to accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior; we must admit, acknowledge and accept the reality that we are indeed a sinner in need of forgiveness and salvation. Once we are saved, we must be honest enough with ourselves to admit that we still are not perfect and we still commit sins. That is why God has promise that if we will confess our sins to Him: He is willing to forgive those sins.
We need to be willing to accept that we do fail; we make mistakes and we are not perfect: and having done that we then allow ourselves to be the recipients of His mercy, grace and forgiveness and by so doing we open our lives to greater prospect and bigger possibilities for God to work in our lives.
“The man who can own up to his error is greater than he who merely knows how to avoid making it.”
- Cardinal De Retz
Today’s Prayer
Father, you are so gracious, compassionate and forgiving: and while often I find I know what is right, I don’t always do what is right: so keep me meek and humble enough to admit my wrongs and to bring them to you so that you can cleanse me of my unrighteousness and help me to do better.
“Give me your eyes
For just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I’ve been missing
Give me your love for humanity.
Give me your arms for the brokenhearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see“
- Lyrics from ‘Give Me Your Eyes’ by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram
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