“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape
ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are
ultimately our own responsibility.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Responsibility is not a superpower to vanish the wrong or a
way to elevate oneself above how they feel about themselves. Responsibility
according to Webster means: “Something that you should do because it is morally
right or legally required.” I don’t want to go into semantics of the word
responsibility. An analogy of a police officer that has a responsibility has to
legally uphold the law and capture those who have broken it. Take the word
responsibility and break the word into two words. Response and ability, then it
will provide a new meaning and understanding. There is an ability in how we
respond to others, which enables us to be responsible in regards to
self-regulation.
There is some reading this blog entry and may be already
concocting thoughts that I am wrong without fully reading what I am writing.
Please, stop and process and really give this some thought. There
is some laziness, which has permeated throughout Christianity by believing in
what men have written or have preached from their “sermon on the hill”, without
processing (reading for oneself) it to the written Truth (the bible).
Yes, we all see and read and in act upon it the way we view it, but
debating isn’t the way to do it and that will be reserved for future debate and
do not want to distract from the true meaning of this article.
Sometimes, I am frustrated with those who express they are
Christians. It is as if they take responsibility as a crown to judge or point
out the injustices or idiosyncrasy in others and often to make themselves look
better than where they really are. The bible isn’t to be a smoking gun, where
you bang out scriptures to nail people as a crucified savior. When I confront
some of them, they express, “I am only human and I make mistakes.” Some
express, “read the bible it gives me the right to point out your living wrong
and I am to confront you.” The flip side of the coin, because it is often out
of retaliation or reaction of hurt, some express, “Christians are hypocrites
and why should I become one?”
The responsibility is not pointing out the wrong in others,
or to judge them by the way they are or are not living. It isn’t to compare
others to ourselves or ourselves to others based upon the outward appearance,
material wealth, or popularity. The responsibility is not in making things
right. The responsibility is not in the apology, when things are wrong. The
responsibility lies deep within the heart to nourish others, accept them for
who they are and where they are at the moment in life. When responsibility is
taken away, then it becomes inward of self-regulation.
If we can take a moment and sift out the way we were raised,
taught, things we have read, our experiences, what do we have left to make an
informed decision? It appears everything influences everything. It is like a
drop of water from a faucet and then placing it into the ocean. It can be
overwhelming to try to separate the drop from the ocean. Yet, somehow the drop
seems to manage its way back to the faucet and the cycle repeats itself.
Very deep thinking has to take place to captivate those
thoughts and make them obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5). What then is our
ability to respond that is the responsibility to others? We are the drop from
the faucet being placed into an ocean of people. It is realizing we are no
different than others. What makes us different is what we allow to make us
different. Water into Ice, Water into steam, salt water to drinking water or
water pressurized to cut diamonds. People can become harden like ice that they
are felt used. People can become angry like steam and burn those who come
around. There are some willing to change to serve others like salt water made
into drinking water.
What then is a human’s responsibility to others, regardless
if one is or isn’t a Christian? It isn’t to point out the flaws in others. We
all have a past. Reading a pathological therapist report can skew how I view
that individual in how I treat them. To help an individual would evaluate first
by getting to know the individual and processing their behaviors, choices and
actions. Then, process how that individual is or isn’t being influenced by the
environment and social realms. The ability to reason provides a response, in
which then becomes my responsibility to help the individual without telling
them they are wrong. Loving the individual and assisting them by walking them
through a journey provides a nurturing environment to choose if they want to
continue to be ice and steam or become something productive to nourishing
others around them.
When I read daily in His word, I do not see a Savior in the
bible that points out sinner’s faults, but instead sees them as human beings
that need to feel accepted, loved and cherished. The approach He uses is taking
the eyes off themselves by His kind words and actions, and then redirects their
eyes on Him. In this approach people are healed. It relinquishes the urge to
feel it is my responsibility to be quick judge or to point out faults in
others. Instead, I am called to evaluate myself to His actions and then to
encourage and uplift others.
This is not a cookie cutter approach. It takes prayer and
understanding to become responsible in the journey of your own life, as well as
how you influence others around you. I read in the bible of a woman that
was caught in adultery. I read of a Savior, who bent to her eye level, wrote in
the sand, and then stood up to face the accusers. Her accusers (who felt they
were responsible to quickly judge and blame) left one by one, until no one was
left standing. I see a Savior that took a loving approach to help heal an
individual lost in herself and made her whole again, without casting a stone of
judgment (even when by law He was too).
One can be like the accusers and feel responsible to
constantly throw stones or one can have an ability to respond like the Savior.
It is easy to become part of a lynch mob, absorb biases of others gossips about
someone else and quickly point out the faults in others. It is a lot more work
to investigate the situation and form our own conclusion about the situation.
True, some say we can never be like the Savior that judges hearts, but we can
be the Savior that uplifts the spirits from their hurt. What will be your
responsibility to mankind: A stone thrower or a bridge builder of stones to
restoring bridges to healthy living?
Whether you prevail or fail, endure or die, depends more on what you do to
yourself than on what the world does to you.” (Jim Collins)
By Faith (Forging Attitude in Trusting Him)
