SeptemberFamilyDevotion
BiblicalCharacterTrait:Responsibility
“Supposeyoucanbetrustedwithsomethingverylittle.Thenyoucanalsobetrustedwithsomethingvery
large.Butsupposeyouarenothonestwithsomethingverylile.Thenyouwillalsonotbehonestwith
somethingverylarge.
Luke16:10
OurcharactertraitforthemonthofSeptemberisresponsibility.Wewillbetalkingaboutresponsibilityas
provingyoucanbetrustedwithwhatisexpectedofyouandknowinganddoingwhatisexpectedofyou.
Allofusstartedlearningataveryearlyagewhatisrightandwhatiswrong.Thisideaofresponsibilityis
throughouttheBibleinboththeOldandNewTestaments.
Whenwethinkaboutwhatitmeanstoberesponsible,therearesometruthswecanconsiderthatmay
helpuskeepresponsibilityinourmindsandthedesiretoberesponsibleinourheartsonadailybasis.
Weareresponsiblefortodayandshouldalwaystrytodothebestthatwecantomaketherightchoices
eachandeveryday.Thepastisbehindusandwearenotalwayssurewhatthefuturewillbringbutwe
cantrytomakechoicesthatpleaseGodtoday.
Therefore,donotworryabouttomorrow,fortomorrowwillworryaboutitself.Eachdayhasenoughtrouble
ofitsown.
Matthew6:34
Weareeachresponsibleforourselves.Wecanbebotheredbywhatothersaredoingaroundusbut
Godwantsustobeaccountableforourownwords,thoughts,andactions.Imaginewhattheworld
wouldlooklikeifeachpersontookresponsibilityforthemselves.Sooftenwhenwemakeawrong
choice,wetrytolinksomeoneelseinbyusingthosemagicalwords"butandbecause."Thelittlegirl
said,"Mom,Ithrewthestuffedanimalatmysisterbecauseshewasstickinghertongueoutatme."
Godlooksatthefirstpartofthesentenceforus.
Sothen,eachofuswillgiveanaccountofourselvestoGod.
Romans14:12
Inadditiontoouractions,wearealsocalledtoberesponsibleforwhatwesayandevenwhatwethink.
Thisisahardone!Thethingsthatwesayanddostartwithourthoughtsandwhatwethinkcomes
fromourheart.GodknowsourheartandHeknowseverythingwethink,say,anddo.
Agoodpersonhasgoodthingssavedupinhisheart.Andsohebringsgoodthingsoutofhisheart.But
anevilpersonhasevilthingssavedupinhisheart.Sohebringsoutbadthings.Apersonspeaksthe
thingsthatareinhisheart.
Luke6:45
Inadditiontobeingresponsibleforwhatwethink,say,anddo,wearealsoresponsibleforwhatwe
maychoosenottodo.ForgettingtodosomethingisdifferentthanmakingachoicetoNOTdo
somethingthatweknowweshould.
Ifanyone,then,knowsthegoodtheyoughttodoanddoesn’tdoit,itissinforthem.
James4:17
Thechoicesthatwemakecomewithconsequences.Thisistrueathome,inourschools,intheworkplace
andevenatchurch.Sometimeswetrytoshifttheblameontootherpeopleorthingsbutultimately,we
areeachresponsibleforourselves.
Jesususeddifferentparablestoteachusabouttheimportanceofresponsibility.Heusedreal-life
examplesinboththeParableoftheTalents(Matthew25)andtheParableoftheUnfaithfulServant(Luke
12).Wehavemanyopportunitiesbothatschoolandathometolearnandpracticeresponsibility.
Childrenmayhavechoresordailytaskstocompleteathomeandthisisagreatopportunityto
demonstrateresponsibility.MostofourclassroomshaveClassroomRulesandConsequencesaswellas
StudentHelpersandagain,thesearealllearningopportunityforstudentsintheareaofresponsibility.
Sometimeswehavetoreceiveaconsequencebecausewehavechosentosayordothewrongthingorwe
havemadethechoicetonotdosomething.Consequencesarenotfunbuttheydoserveaveryimportant
purposeforallofus.
Itisgoodforamantobeartheyokewhileheisyoung.
Lamentations3:27
Reflection:
• Whataresomewaysthatwecaneachbemoreresponsible?
• Howcanweencourageoneanothertomaketherightchoicesinwhatwethink,say,anddo?