“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Have you ever taken on a responsibility that is NOT YOURS? Many years ago, before I became a Christ follower, I heard a pastor preach about how if we’ve taken on a job God doesn’t want us to have, we need to get out of the way because we’re standing in the way of the person God wants to have that job. I believe he was referring to a work-related job. To employment. Now all these years later as a Christ follower I understand this doesn’t just apply to a job. This applies to life. And as someone who for so very long has had such an exceeding sense of responsibility, it can be a tough and humbling lesson to learn that the Lord distributes responsibilities to whomever He desires whenever He desires wherever He desires for whatever He desires all for His glory.
For those of us with a big sense of responsibility, we can find ourselves taking on responsibilities that are NOT OURS. Responsibilities that the Lord has NOT given us. These responsibilities can be job responsibilities, people responsibilities, relationship responsibilities, volunteer responsibilities, ministry responsibilities, helping others responsibilities, fixing things responsibilities, absolutely anything and everything in the way of responsibilities.
Sometimes we take on responsibilities that are NOT OURS because we PRIDEFULLY believe we’re best at what needs to be done or know better than others, because we FEARFULLY believe nobody will step in to do what needs to be done if we do not, because we WORRIEDLY believe someone or something needs to be rescued and we don’t trust the Lord to send the person or people He desires to help, because we ANGRILY and BITTERLY feel like nobody else is stepping in or doing a good enough job so we need to step in, and the list goes on. The list of SIN. Yes, SIN. SIN AGAINST GOD. For when we take on a responsibility that is NOT OURS, to which the Lord has NOT CALLED US, we are in disobedience to God. And when our hearts are filled with pride, fear, worry, anger, bitterness, etc., we are in sin. And we are standing in the way of the person or people whom God has chosen for that responsibility. Sometimes the Lord may not even want to call anybody at all. Sometimes He wants the responsibility all to Himself, or to allow someone in need to cry out to Him rather than be rescued by one of His people so the person realizes the ultimate rescuer is God.
God has a plan and purpose in all things, and He is sovereign and always knows what’s best. If you find yourself in a situation right now in which you have stepped in because you feel responsible but believe the Lord has not called you to step in as you have, please repent, please turn to Him, please seek Him, and please follow Him to wherever and whomever He leads you, most importantly closer to Himself. And please TRUST the Lord He is the one who is ultimately responsible for all things and for all people. And in being the Lord, and being sovereignly responsible for everything and everyone, it is up to Him to choose if and whom He wants to make responsible.
What happens when we repent and let go of what we are NOT responsible for? We become more fully available to the Lord, and we become available to take responsibility for what and whom He in fact does place in our care. In His name, in His strength, for His glory, amen!