The Principle of Personal Responsibility

Wow!  Our Church service yesterday morning was awesome.  The presentations from the various home churches were very inspiring and entertaining, just as the pastors promised in their last week’s reports.  The presentations were so good, and the service so interesting and refreshing that I decided I’ll be including reports on them in these Monday posts so you can have a feel of what happened.

We heard a beautiful special song from Home Church A, titled, “Yes you can!”  The message of the song, “you can do anything if you try,” was highly inspiring and it was beautiful to see the members of that home church dancing and rejoicing on stage as they spoke to us through their song.  
Then Home Church B presented a melodrama they titled, “The Essence”, basically reminding us that God is the essence and substance of our lives.  Theirs was another exquisitely touching and moving presentation laced with heart moving background music and excellent acting by the assistant home church leader.
Home Church C presented a short drama piece to encourage us to get our hearts established in the eternal word of God. 
Home Church D presented a tag team exhortation on Courage.  It was beautiful to behold.

After all of the beautiful and colorful presentations from the home churches, I delivered a message on “The Principle of Personal Responsibility.” Below are the key points:

The equation of personal responsibility

“If wishes were horses, beggars would be riders” ~ An English proverb

I first heard this proverb about the time I was 9/10 years old. I didn’t understand then what it meant, but it left a deep and abiding impression on my mind. And over the years, as its meaning dawned on me, I became empowered to take hold of my own destiny in order to create the life of my dreams.  Along the way, I discovered the equation of personal responsibility, which has become a personal mantra for believing, living, loving, and so on.

The equation goes something like this:

God + You = Your outcomes   

Now, as you probably know, any simple equation has at least a constant and a variable; and because the value of the variable changes, it’s the value of the variable that determines the result of the equation. 
In the above equation, God is the constant, and I make this assertion on the basis of a deep awareness of the meaning of the following verses:

First of all:

“For I am the LORD, I change not…” ~ Malachi 3:6

Then this:

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” ~ Hebrews 13:8

And this:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” ~ James 1:17

All of the above verses express the constancy of God in the equation of life.

Now, whereas God is unchanging, humans are continuously changing!
So, we are the variables in the equation of life, and consequently, determine our outcomes.

That is to say you are the determinant of your outcomes and consequences.  What you think, how you think, what you say, how you say it, what you do, and how you do it  are all aspects of your power to decide your outcomes.

Ultimately, it’s up to you!

In the course of my sermon yesterday in Church, I outlined a simple 5-step bible-based process to aid your understanding of your personal responsibility in creating your outcomes.

1. First of all, God will give you the desires of your heart.

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." ~ Psalm 37:4

God plants desires in your heart.  I believe that all of the good dreams, desires, hopes, and aspirations in your heart are from God.  Desire is the starting point of all achievements.

2. Then, He opens your eyes to see the way that leads to life.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." ~ Matthew 7:13-14

God allows you to see this narrow way that leads to life.  Many people want to be at peace with God, happy, healthy, and successful, but do not know how.  I believe that it’s in the word of God, in His principles as He has revealed it in nature, and in the experiences of others who have successfully navigated the stormy seas of life, that you discern this narrow way.

3. But its up to you to choose that way.

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:" ~ Deuteronomy 30:19

God will not make your choices for you.  That’s entirely up to you.  It is up to you to choose to live right, to work hard, to study, to exercise, to invest wisely, to save, and to do all of the difficult things necessary for living the kind of life that you desire.

4. Then He works in you to will and to do.

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." ~ Philippians 2:13

This simply means that He strengthens your resolve to do the things you’ve decided to do.  Of course, God won’t forsake you and leave you out there on your own.  If you’ve sincerely chosen to invest time and energy in pursuing wise choices, decisions, and principles, you can count on His strength to flow as and when needed.  The following verse puts it so well:

"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;" ~ Ephesians 3:16

In other words, God will release perseverance, courage, and other inner spiritual resources that you need to implement the wise, but difficult choices that create greatness.

5. As you diligently will and walk in the narrow way, you begin to eat the best from the land as He gives you the increase.

"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:" ~ Isaiah 1:19

There’s so much blessings, favours, increase, and prosperity available for you today, regardless of your race, profession, or status.  You can begin to enjoy all of these to the extent that you are willing to take personal responsibility over your choices and decisions each day.  My prayer for you is that you will do so, and may God strengthen you as you do.

I truly expect this week to be full of favours, abundance, and breakthrough’s for you.  I prayed for all, especially those that submitted prayer requests to me over the weekend.  This week will be full of pleasant surprises for you.  ENJOY!

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