Our Responsibility

Responsibility is a word that is often on my mind these days. What is my responsibility in this ministry, to my family, my church, my friends, to the lost around me? I have certain responsibilities that are glaring: caring for the needs of my husband and children; managing our household so it is a loving and productive environment; setting aside time to spend with my sweet, aging parents; serving God to the best of my ability with His empowerment; working diligently on my relationship with Him.

Oswald Chambers granted insight into this concept of responsibility as I reread a recent entry in my favorite devotional of all time: My Utmost for His Highest. He said, "The only responsibility you have is to stay in living constant touch with God, and to see that you allow nothing to hinder your cooperation with Him." I had to read that over several times to let it sink into my heart and mind.

I "know" Oswald well enough to realize that when he says "only" he doesn't mean the only one in the entire world. What he is saying here, to the best of my understanding, is that our greatest responsibility is to live in constant touch with God -- talking to Him, listening to Him; seeking His wisdom and guidance; giving Him praise and honor in all things, etc. When we make our relationship with Him our top priority and a constant element in our daily life, all our other responsibilities will fall into place -- or fall away -- according to His purposes and leading. There is much hope and peace in this admonition, and it instills a deeper desire to focus on my God more constantly and consistently.

The second part of this admonition bears a striking resemblance to a warning: "...to see that you allow nothing to hinder your cooperation with Him." I can almost hear Oswald exclaiming, "Be alert! Guard your heart and mind against infiltrators or distractions that have the ability to hinder your willingness or availability to cooperate with Him." If I am not in constant touch with God, I am more likely to be overwhelmed by the difficulties of life and the duties of family and ministry. This perspective sheds an entirely different light on my "other" responsibilities. The result is that I am more at ease, at peace; I'm less stressed-out and more pleasant to be around. And oddly enough, the important things still get taken care of! It's a win-win situation no matter how I look at it!

As often is the case, this admonition has the ring of simplicity but no promise of ease. Sounds simple, but the living out of it is anything but easy. Again, this is where we must remember that the Christian life is all about relationship, not following a set of rules. Because God is my Father, because He lavishes His love on me and desires His best for me, I can strive for this goal knowing I have nothing to lose but everything to gain. With every victory I will gain strength and confidence in Him, and with every failure I receive His comfort and encouragement to get up and try again...in His strength, for His glory. That's what "my utmost for His highest" means: my best for His glory.

What a privilege to serve such an Awesome God!