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King William of Pottsdam once visited a prison in England. Every
prisoner brought before him claimed to be innocent, and pleaded for a
pardon except for one man who admitted his guilt. King William said to
the warden, "Get this guilty man out of the prison before he corrupts
all these innocent men!" And the man was set free.
Why is it we have such a difficult time saying, "I’m responsible?" We
blame heredity, environment, and circumstances - everything except
ourselves. Yet what the Lord wants is for us to accept responsibility
for our own behavior.
How often do we hear people say things like, "I’d stop drinking if my
wife would quit nagging me!" "I’d work harder, but no one appreciates
my effort." "I’d make better grades, but my teacher doesn’t like me."
Romans 14:12 says, "Each of us will give an account of himself to
God." Heredity and environment play a part in influencing us, but we
can rise above that if we want to. Some of the world’s best people had
terrible pasts. Some of the most privileged people wind up being
complete failures.
Do you want to get well? How badly do you want it? Do you want it so
intensely that you’re willing to work long hours and endure pain? It
may mean doing vigorous exercise and following a disciplined program.
It may mean swallowing your pride. It may mean getting up earlier to
read the Bible or denying a golf game to attend a church function. It
may mean that you quit wallowing in self-pity. It may mean saying "No"
to pleasure or terminating a tempting relationship.
If we really want to get well, we must make the effort. Proverbs 10:4
says, "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth."
If we want this congregation to grow then we must plant the seed,
water it with encouragement and let God cause it to grow!
See Ya At The Gathering Place,
Bruce |
