ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY
Building My On Grace - Part 2
Ephesians 5:15
Your greatest ability is responsibility. Responsibility is the ability to respond to life. It's one of the greatest gifts that God has given you. Because you have the freedom to respond and you are able to respond you are response-able. You're responsible.
Three beliefs that are the antithesis of personal responsibility:
Our beliefs determine our behavior and our behavior determines what we become and what our society becomes.
Today our society is obsessed with personal rights.
Second, the victim mentality basically goes like this. "None of my problems are my fault. In fact, they're all your fault."
The entitlement mentality basically says, I deserve it. The world owes me a living.
The Bible says, "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise" (Ephesians 5:15).
The first thing we have to deal with is, "Why should I live a responsible life?" Three reasons:
Because God Is Watching Me.
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Heb. 4:13).
Life is a test of responsibility.
Character is the only thing you're going to take with you when you die.
"Each of us will have to give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12).
Because Others Are Affected by My Life.
We're not independent or dependent but interdependent on each other.
"People should be concerned about others and not just about themselves." (1 Corinthians 10:24, GWT)
I Need to Be Responsible Because God Rewards It.
Deuteronomy 28:2 "All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God."
How Can I Be a More Responsible Person?
By Saving My Money
Proverbs 21:20 "The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets."
By Controlling My Reactions
"A fool expresses all his emotions but a wise person controls them." Pr. 29:11 (GWT)
"Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good." Pr. 29:11 (GWT)
By Guarding My Mind.
Proverbs 15:14 (NLT), "A wise person is hungry for truth, while the fool feeds on trash."