Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. (Judges 11:1, KJV)
The account of the man called Jepthah brings to mind, the need for taking responsibility for ones life.
Born by a harlot, he was kicked out of his fathers house by his siblings from his step mother after their father died because they did not want him to share in their fathers inheritance, as such, he fled to the land of Tob and became what we will call “agbero chairman” in today’s language. Meaning the chairman of touts, because he was the leader of miscreants, or if you like, nonentities. However, in no distant future, his fathers land was at war with a great nation called Ammon, then they realized that they would need the help of this so called nonentity, so they went in search of him.
When they found him, they made a vow with him to make him their king if he would go to war with them. He agreed and went, but when the war became fierce, they refused to honour his call for help, but God on his side, he defeated his enemies, and his own people came against him and tried to kill him, but in Judges 12:3, he made a phenomenal statement which is where we will dwell.
He said:
And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands…
That should be the attitude of every one of us because responsibility is the price for greatness!
He knew that if he waited on another man he would be killed by the enemies, so he took responsibility for his life,
In our world today, several destinies have been truncated because they refused to take responsibility!
Many marriages have been destroyed for lack of responsibility. Jobs have been lost for the lack of it and of course, so many have also died for the lack of it!
A wise man by the name of George Washington once said that discipline is the soul of an army and you cannot be disciplined without being responsible. No wonder soldiers would rather die than loss their riffles to the enemy. And in combat, they continue to advance even when the enemies are shelling them with mortars. Why? Responsibility!
A lot of people have failed and truncated their destinies for being irresponsible.
Jesus said in John 9:4:
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
What better way is there to define what taking responsibility means?
From the above verse, we can also say Jesus was saying there time for everything.
You cannot afford to lay idle while others are working, you will someday eat dust! Get up and get moving!
If you do not do what you should do when you should do it, it will become even more difficult to do. Move now!
I always thank God for His grace on my life, because in those days in Secondary School, when my mates where in class, I would be gallivanting, playing truancy. But God helped me realize that I would make a shipwreck of my life if I continued that way.
I know a lot of people who refused to change back then who are paying the price today!
A lot of people are suffering today not because they do not know the right thing to do but because they have refused to do it. And we know that wisdom is knowing what to do and doing it while foolishness is knowing what to do but refusing to do it.
There is no middle ground, you have to choose one!
What shall it profit a man who refuses to take responsibility for his own life?
There are also those who know deep down in their hearts that they need Jesus but would not just surrender to Him.
I knew a lady who would always dodge me because she knew I must tell her that Jesus loves her. But the day came when she slumped in her room and could not move one part of her body, that was when she realized she needed the same Jesus she did not want to hear about. Sadly, she died.
Why wait for the night to do what you should do in the day?
Some have been in church for 5 to 10 years praying for breakthrough but have failed to take responsibility to work, yet they want to be blessed. And some are too big to do certain jobs because they feel it is too demeaning yet have nothing doing, yet they remain at a spot. Take responsibility!
Some students of Landmark University, when speaking with Bishop David Oyedepo, asked him. They said, to stay awake we take coffee. What do you take to stay awake and he said RESPONSIBILITY!
THE HEIGHTS THAT GREAT MEN ATTAINED WERE NOT MADE BY SUDDEN FLIGHTS, BUT THEY, WHILE THEIR COMPANIONS SLEPT, WERE TOILING UPWARD IN THE NIGHT!
WAKE UP!
I do not know what circle of life you have been entangled in, but you can break free from it if you decide and begin to take responsibility today.
It may not be easy, but I pray for you, receive grace to take responsibility, in Jesus Name.
You are blessed!
Prayer Point: Father, I surrender to You today, help me break free from every web of irresponsibility and give me grace to be responsible with the life that I am priviledge to have today, in Jesus Precious Name! Amen.
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