|
Can You Face Responsibility
by Jerry Ousley Responsibility something we all have and we all react differently to. Some of us feel so responsible that we wouldn't dream of shirking it; while others simply shrug it off as they would snow on their hair. Some years ago I worked at a print shop. My job included a host of responsibilities including preparing daily morning reports on production, efficiency and so forth. I kept detailed records in spreadsheets I had created and developed and I did them religiously. To me, other than serving the Lord, keeping these things up was very important. I worked long hours and often sacrificed to take inventory coming in very early in the morning (sometimes at 2:00 AM). The day came when it was announced that our local facility would be closing the doors. I was devastated. Again, other than serving the Lord that job had become my life. Suddenly all those reports and records that had been so important to keep updated were made useless pieces of information that were now a waste of time. I don't know which was the most tragic; the plant closing or my pathetic concern about what I was doing. On the other hand, a gentleman whom I will call McNervous Sneed was asked one day what would be the perfect job. He replied, "One where I get paid not to show up for work with overtime." Wouldn't that be nice now? Some of us dream about what we'd like to make of our lives. I've heard of a lot of men and women who have had lifelong dreams. As teenagers they imagined all that they could accomplish. But the years passed, children were raised and grand-children were born. Now in the twilight of life they look back and remember all those things they wanted to accomplish, only to realize that none of them ever happened. Some have lived in regret and feel remorse for not accomplishing those things. Other folks seem to have no ambition in life at all. They don't work, don't have a career, and just get by day to day. In the last few days I've noticed a man in our neighborhood that appears to be about thirty-something. He has a yellow scooter with squeaky brakes. One day while I was mowing the yard I couldn't help but notice him (because those squeaky breaks were loud enough that I could hear them over the sounds of the engines of the mowers). If he passed by once on that yellow scooter he passed by fifty times! And it wasn't just at a certain time of day but all day long! One morning I heard those squeaky breaks at 6:15 AM! It hadn't quite gotten daylight; still he was out riding that scooter. Apparently he has nothing better to do with his time. I guess we all have to ask ourselves the question, "Are we along for the free ride, or can we look responsibility square in the face?" I hear an echo of someone saying, "I can look responsibility in the face all day long! I can gaze at it, measure it up and down and never touch it with a ten foot pole!" To be successful in life we must be able to not just look responsibility in the face, but grab it by the horns and make it ours. When we do we at least have a chance of making more of our lives than burning rubber on the roads with a yellow scooter! But there's one great responsibility that many have ignored. It is our responsibility to God Almighty. We have a debt of sin that is owed. It is our responsibility to pay it. One way or another it will be paid before we transition from this life to the next. If we choose to ignore it we will pay for eternity in a place we'd really rather not be. "But we couldn't possibly pay for it in a million lifetimes!" Yes that is true. That's why Jesus Christ paid it for us. We can choose to accept His free gift of salvation, and dedicate our lives to Him and experience eternal bliss in Heaven. When put that way the choice seems obvious doesn't it? So why do so many choose to ignore this one so very important responsibility? Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |