accountability

It’s God’s Fault

Dr. Mike 2025 , , ,

 
“Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.  Deuteronomy 1:26-27

Have you ever blamed God for your problems?

Have you ever met people who believe they have been given a vision from God to pursue? In pursuing their dream, they experience modest success. As they became more and more successful, their humanity is soon exposed. They began to feel prideful. They began to believe their success was solely due to their awesome efforts. They began to strut their abilities. They began to treat those around them as incompetent fools. Then something unexpectedly happens.

All they have accomplished, soon disappears. Some outside influence cause them to make stressful decisions that displaced their dream. Their vision soon crumbled. In their anger and frustration, they start to blame everyone around them, including God. If God didn’t protect them from harm, then HE must be punishing them is their belief.

It’s the same story throughout history for those of us who haven’t learn to trust God. When you don’t have a strong relationship with someone, you never come to know them. Instead, you project your own worst ideas upon them.

When Israel left Egypt after 400 years of slavery, the people often blamed God for their problems. They would rather return to Egypt as slaves than enjoy the freedom under God. They would have Moses act as an intermediator then develop a relationship with God. So, throughout their journey, they would project their fears and concerns upon God. They blamed HIM for their unpleasant situation rather than trust HIM. They rarely would look at themselves as the problem, but always as the victim. As far as they were concern, it was always God’s fault.

When one lives with unbelief, one will never see God as the solution. HE will always remain as the problem. When one fails to trust God, one will always doubt HIS grace. One will then place greater emphasis on personal manipulation to solve the problem. When one fails to accept personal responsibility, one will only make excuses. Why even attempt a solution if the problem is bigger than themselves is one of their excuses.

When one comes to know God wants what is best for you, you find ways to lean on HIM. You begin to model your life after HIM. You want to experience life the way HE created life to be. You seek ways to develop a more meaningful relationship with HIM. You learn to better communicate with HIM. You are constantly seeking ways to discover more about HIM. HE becomes your rabbi. Your counselor. Your coach. Your hero. Your friend.

God is not out to get you. HE wants you to share in HIS family circle. HIS family business. HIS family ways. HE wants you to become the best you.

No, it is not God’s fault. HE is the solution.

You may be experiencing the pain of poor decisions made by yourself or those around you. You may be experiencing the pain from evil thrown your way. You may be experiencing the pain of living in a broken, beaten, and busted world. A world that ignores God and celebrates anti-divine actions. Yet all these experiences are the seeds God’s Spirit is using to do HIS work. HE is morphing our character after the image of Jesus. Remember, God’s purpose is to prepare you for an eternal home.

Meanwhile, if God has given you a dream. Pursue it. Lean on HIM. He is not the cause of your problems but wants what is best for you. Let HIM lead you. All the obstacles and short-term pains are the hurdles we jump through to become stronger and learn to trust in our heavenly Father. HE is the person who designed you and empowers you to become the best version of you.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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Accountability

Dr. Mike 2022 , , , ,

Colossians 3:23-24

 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Paul writes the above passage addressed to bond-servants. The Greek word is Doulos which is translated as slave or servant in various writings. The word bond-servant is more appropriate as it relates to those who are under the authority of an earthly master whether as a paid laborer or an indenture servant.

In Christ’ time it is estimated that 1/3 of the population were slaves and another 1/3 were slaves at one time but became free later in life. So, when Jesus spoke about the greatest being a servant for all rather than lording over people, HE was stretching the cultural norms of the day. In fact, Paul and other church leaders including Jesus’ brothers James and Judas likewise acknowledged in their writings they were bond-servants to Jesus.

So as Christ-followers, we have chosen to become bond-servants of HIS. We have accepted the position to be ultimately held accountable by HIM. Though meanwhile we also have earthly associates to hold us accountable. Though they may not be perfect like our Lord, and may not even know our Lord, and may even be against our Lord, we accept their authority in our life to maintain law and order in the land. However, if they require us doing something against the authority of our Lord, then we defer to HIM first and accept the consequences of the matter.

Our reward comes from Jesus. He is our Lord, and we are citizens of HIS Kingdom. Paul writes elsewhere that you and I are only ambassadors in a foreign land. Whoever opposes us on Christ’s behalf, opposes HIM and will reap the consequences of their decision.      

Meanwhile, we are all accountable to someone in this life. Whether our mates, parents, friends, employers, clients, HOA’s, or governments, there is someone we are answerable too. Even the hermit living alone is still accountable to some authority in their world. For example, the land they reside on is under some governmental jurisdiction. Without accountability, we are left alone with our human tenancies which eventually will lead to ugly and destructive consequences. Most human-to-human destructive actions are the result of human leaders left alone without accountability for their actions. Any person without a stronger accountability source is playing god without the innate character to manage the situation.

As a Christ-follower, we have a proven leader who conquered his human desires, established a government which allows all to flourish in freedom, and paved the way for all to participate. Our highest priority is to first serve HIM and introduce others to HIM. Our reward is from HIM. In every situation, we first seek HIS will. Whenever we fail HIM, HE disciplines us. But HE also showers HIS grace upon us and restores us in HIM. We serve HIM in all matters, even when we hold ourselves accountable to others.  

Count it all joy to have an accountability partner or group who helps you through the maze of life.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books 

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Your Cross. Your Responsibility.

Dr. Mike Kingdom Actions , , ,

Luke 9:23

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

What is your cross?

As this Scripture indicates, to follow Jesus requires each of us to place our wants and desires secondary to Him, and accept daily our responsibility toward God and others.

But this still begs the question, what is your cross to carry?

Jesus’ daily cross was to fulfill the mission he accepted from the foundation of the world from His God. His daily exercise to cross the “T” and dot the “i” in a godly manner involved working in the carpentry shop before his public ministry and then the pronouncement and teaching of His Kingdom before others in the last three years of his earthly venture. He carried the responsibility of moving events toward his trial, execution, and resurrection. He laid the foundation for a Church to outlast history. His incarnate actions were done as a substitute for you and I. He reflected God’s intentions in all his actions and words. He learned obedience through his daily struggles. He experienced pain and suffering as a human. He knew the hatred others had for him yet lived each day resting in His Father’s Will and bore the responsibility of teaching and serving others in God’s name.

That was His cross. But what is the cross you carry?

As we mature in life, we begin to accept greater and greater responsibility. Some people seek it out which is normal in our earlier adult days. Others have responsibility thrusts upon them by others and either meet the call or succumb to its weight. Then others accept commitments toward a personal goal or relationship and hold themselves personally accountable toward fulfilling that decision.   

Your cross in the eyes of others may be a minor stone you have to carry each day. But to you the perception is the other way around. Your cross is a large boulder which requires all your strength and focus each day while your friend’s cross is a pocket stone. And they likewise see it the other way around.

Your cross may be the burden of a broken relationship; financial hardship caused by outside forces outside your control; or maybe the outcome of back to back poor decisions which has left you beaten, broken, and busted. Yet, these are the cards you have and Jesus says accept your situation and take the responsibility to fix it by following him toward your new future. You may be a single mom working three jobs and raising two children. You may be a widower in poor health caring for someone else who likewise is struggling through life. Or you may be an entrepreneur putting yourself together again after failing in your third business venture.

Your cross may be a defective health issue that has you struggling each day simply to get around. Or maybe even the threat of your life for leaving your previous religion to follow Jesus. And yet others, it may simply be to marry the person who birth your child out of wedlock and give them a father and home-life as a foundation for a successful life.

As a Christ follower, it is not about you. Each of us has a boulder to push, a mountain to climb, or an ocean to cross. To follow Jesus requires us to accept the responsibility of completing the race before us with all its obstacles. Not as a victim nor an evil rabble rouser, but as a child of the living God. As we accept personal responsibility for our actions, and trust Jesus to lead us via the Holy Spirit, we will find meaning and purpose with our life. In fact, you will find yourself growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ unto maturity as a believer and finisher of your faith.      

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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