LESSON FROM MY LITTLE NIECE II

‘Uncle Tuoyo, thank you,’ Shalom, my little niece appreciated.
I didn’t know what she was thanking me for, though I replied her, ‘Thank God,’ and continued unpegging and taking off the clothes from the line. It was evening, and I didn’t trust the weather for a dry night.
‘Uncle Tuoyo,’ she called out my name again, ‘I want to take my clothes inside.’
Was that what she was thanking me for? Well, I didn’t ask her, I gave her her clothes to take inside. Then, I learned something from her. She decided to take up the responsibility. And so, I will be sharing with you on TAKING RESPONSIBILITY.
I must confess, I sometimes get away from responsibilities, but what this little girl did, make me; or should I say challenge me, to always take up responsibilities.
At the time I was writing this article, I read an article from a blog about Jesus, ‘When he was 12 he hurried off to the temple to be about His Father's business. At any early age he recognized his responsibility and dealt with it. Do you think his friends encouraged him? It is doubtful the other boys had such concerns at all. If they were like some kids today, they probably ridiculed him.’ But the bottom line of that article was that most Christians don’t want to take up responsibilities.
For instance, 2 Pet. 3:18 commands us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." Whose responsibility is that? Is it the preacher's job to get us to grow? Is it our parent's task to force us to grow? Is it the responsibility of our brothers and sisters to somehow make us improve? The elders are to watch, oversee and feed, but are they charged to make us be what we ought to be? The plain truth is: If I grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, it's because I have established that goal in my life and I set about the task of achieving it regardless of what anyone around me does or does not do. I am ultimately responsible for me.
We need to wake up. We need to quit blaming our actions, thoughts and feelings on someone or something else. If I'm not growing it's because I'm not doing the things growth requires. If I'm not learning, it’s because I'm not studying. If I feel abandoned by God, it’s because I've separated myself from Him. If I feel empty, it’s because I've not allowed God to fill my life with meaning. If I feel lonely, it’s because I won't allow God to hold my hand and lift me up. I must work out my own salvation with fear and trembling and only God can help me do that. Friends and family, brothers and sisters in Christ can assist me but whether I have their help or not, I am ultimately responsible for all that I think, all that I feel and all that I do.