Avoiding Responsibility
We live in a society where many people refuse to accept responsibility for their actions. It’s so commonplace to blame others for things you have caused yourself. We see it in children first, but then in people of all ages because they never learned how not to think like a child. Look at Proverbs 22:15, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.” Unchecked foolishness will have lasting effects. We are seeing this in the American society today, and even within the church.
Proverbs 13:16 says, “Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly.” Foolishness can be defined as a lack of judgment, and really we could say, a lack of judging oneself. In other words, a foolish person is a person who won’t take responsibility for their own folly, their own lapse in judgment, or their own immaturity. Look at 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” It’s knowledge of the Word that helps us to mature and put away our childish nature.
Sadly, too many Christians won’t actually take responsibility in their Christian walk. They may serve in the local church, tithe and give, and they may even put on a good facade for others, but in their hearts, they haven’t put away childish folly. Romans 12:2 reminds us to, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This is our responsibility. We must actually spend time with God, or we will never mature. Immaturity is expected in babies, but it’s really ugly in adults.
Galatians 5:22-23 tells us of the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We know this though, the fruit of a tree never grows unless the tree is nourished properly. When we avoid our responsibility to build spiritual maturity, faith, knowledge and understanding in us by the renewing of our minds, we’re avoiding the nourishment that produces these fruits. The result? 20 year old babies, 40 year old babies, 60 year old babies, and a society filled with folly, A.K.A. a bunch of ugly adult babies.
Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Do you want good things? Do you want real fruit? Start taking responsibility for yourself.
Be Blessed,
Pastor Renée
