Responsibility - Part 2

Jeremiah 4:1-10 “ If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto Me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of My sight, then shalt thou not remove. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him shall they glory. For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us. And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Lord, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.”

What is the hidden meaning behind the concept responsibility? It concerns the decision which requires a responsible action. Responsibility usually has a limited time period: responsibility at work, in the family, as mother or father, in the marriage, in organizations. It is also important for whom you accept responsibility: children, colleagues, the partner, parents..... These people have expectations of me and how then can I impose my own ideas. When I assume responsibility, it means that I decide for that which lies in the future. It will occur in the future. There are life stations where I have to take decisions: after primary school, which secondary school, after high school or further studies, the question about a life partner, what will I do after retirement.... These are decisions which will affect my future life. Most certainly some things are easier or harder to undo in life. The question also arises: How do I approach a task or responsibility? How do I fulfil the task associated with it? In the Gospel of Jesus He speaks of responsibility. Jesus accepts responsibility for us. I often smirk when my scholars are eager to undertake certain tasks, when I know for sure that they will quickly reach their boundaries. Then they come and ask for help. Often I see an example in them. We adults also think we can do things alone and then reach our boundaries. Do we then cheerfully run to God and ask Him for help? Sometimes we lack the means, the time or the physical strength. God has taken responsibility for our lives and over and beyond our lives, also for our limitations and our inabilities. God's promise is without temporal boundaries. For Him, we should remain responsible throughout life, despite our limitations. We can rely on His promise to always be with us. Have the courage to take responsibility today, when you take decisions with Him.

Gundi Hornbruch