Responsibility

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;”

Philippians 2:12

What a nasty word! Who likes responsibility? Yuck! That means I must do things. I must take care of things! No way, Jose! You do that. I’ll just sit over here and play. Someone will take care of all that other stuff. I haven’t heard anyone talk like that either. We act like it, though.

Yet, we want to be great and do great things. “The price of greatness is responsibility,” Winston Churchill. It will take responsibility on your part to get to your best, and to keep you there. This is the point of Matthew 25:14-30. We have been given talents and the responsibility to use them. We reproduce our own kind by taking on the responsibility of spreading the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-19). We will also be rewarded according to our works in accordance with the Bible (Revelation 22:12). When you get to your best, it also becomes your responsibility to exemplify greatness to others (Philippians 2:1-4; Ephesians 4:1-3; Mark 10:42-45). Finally, we only reach our final reward and the peak of Christian life in Christ by staying faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10). God makes it clear in all of these instances that you must take responsibility for yourself to get to your best, and it will take responsibility to keep you there in Him.

Although it sounds like a daunting life to live, the truth is, it’s the richest, purest, and most unrestrained life you can achieve. Why? Because it is what we were created for (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). How? Because the only way we accomplish true greatness is by taking enough personal responsibility for our souls to trust and obey God (Ezekiel 18:19-24; Acts 17:30; 1 Timothy 2:4; Revelation 20:11-15). Then we carry the weight of that continued responsibility to stay great in Christ and to shine as a light to the world around us (Luke 9:23; Matthew 7:13-27; 5:13-16).

Listen, no one is responsible for your actions and life but you! God makes that clear in Revelation 20:11-15. That is what God means in Philippians 2:12. He will be looking at you and asking you about what you did and did not. Will you be bold enough to take personal responsibility for your soul and live in Christ? Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

- Steve Johnson

#MaysvilleMessenger