A man is often defined by his work, what he earns, or how much he has. In the midst of that, his pursuits can either strengthen that definition or completely crumble it. But does a man finding work or material success make him responsible? Not necessarily. We see men fail all the time in moments of ethical irresponibility and selfish allusions. All men leave a legacy, but only some legacies are worth remembering.
Why is it important to be responsible? I believe the answer is found in scripture. Through the bible, we learn that the focus of our pursuit must be God first, others next. Our personal pursuits take a back seat. Responsibility is not proved by taking care of ourselves. It is shown by alignment with God's will and how we take care of other people.
Unfortunately, most men won't get that. They believe responsibility is something that can be manufactured by landing a good job or owning a nice car. And that's the more reasonable of thinking on responsibility by most men. Others believe responsibility to come with age, the right to drink alcohol, the privilege to have sex with a woman they desire, or the fact that they are a dad.
RESPONSIBILITY CANNOT BE FORCED. People will often encourage troubled or wayward youth to join the military because it will enforce discipline and make them more responsible. Yes, it will force men to act responsibly at times. However, the key word there is "act". Many men can flip a switch and "act" responsible at times. However, that's not the point.
True responsibility is taken on willingly by a man for the sake of everyone but himself.
Being responsible is striving to have the greatest care and love for others. In order to do this, a man must take care of himself. That cannot be ignore. However, the self care cannot trump the care of others.
I talk with too many young men, who think they're responsible. Why not? They've got a few kids. They own a motorcycle. They have health insurance. They know how to cook. That's responsible, right? Sadly, these same young men will trump care of others with self care leading to selfish and irresponsible decisions. Along with this, they won't take ownership for their choices and mistakes. There's always someone else or something to blame. That's why we see dads abuse and walk out on their families. This is why we see men drink and get behind the wheel of a car. This is why we see men depressed, lonely, and always seeking more. Irresponsibility is at the core.
Consider these scriptures:
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends
John 15:13
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves
Philippians 2:3
The word responsible infers to be a source as to the cause of circumstances. God ultimately causes circumstances. However, in God's sovereign command he watches as men make choices and reap the harvest of what they have sewn. As a culture, we mostly take "responsible" to mean being the source as to the cause of positive circumstances. A man can't ultimately choose his circumstances, but he can honor God and lead others to do the same. When a man does this, God honors that man. Like God's description of Himself in talking about the city of Jerusalem in Zechariah 2:5, "And I myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be its glory within.", God will be a wall of fire around the life of a responsible man that pursues Him. And God will get the glory within that man, which is perfect, because a responsible man isn't worried about his glory or credit. He's focused on others.
Philippians 2:3
The word responsible infers to be a source as to the cause of circumstances. God ultimately causes circumstances. However, in God's sovereign command he watches as men make choices and reap the harvest of what they have sewn. As a culture, we mostly take "responsible" to mean being the source as to the cause of positive circumstances. A man can't ultimately choose his circumstances, but he can honor God and lead others to do the same. When a man does this, God honors that man. Like God's description of Himself in talking about the city of Jerusalem in Zechariah 2:5, "And I myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the LORD, and I will be its glory within.", God will be a wall of fire around the life of a responsible man that pursues Him. And God will get the glory within that man, which is perfect, because a responsible man isn't worried about his glory or credit. He's focused on others.
