“Although we may say we want to trust God and surrender to his will, deep down we doubt that God is really capable of securing our happiness.”
David G. Benner
Being responsible is not ordinarily bad; it is when we place an inordinate amount of investment and identity in it that it becomes unhealthy. I have wanted others to see me as responsible and dependable, so I am needed and accepted. My overly responsible nature can lead to pride and placing my trust in myself and not in God or others, which ushers in anxiety. Repeatedly, God asks, “Do you trust Me?”
Our actions speak louder than words. I show God that I trust Him when I depend on Him to come through for me, to lead me in the way He wants me to follow. My worst nightmare is when God asks me to lay down my message preparations, (the way I’m being responsible), and to ‘wing it,’ to trust Him to fill my mouth with His words. Yet, it is in those scenarios I am most free to be who He created me to be.
When I let go of being responsible and place my trust in God, He’s released to be the Responsible One. It’s good to be prepared, but not place my trust in those preparations. Prior to speaking at a Zoom meeting, I released being responsible and told the Lord that the results are in His responsible hands. I’ll set the table Lord; You bring the food to nourish each woman. He replied: That’s all I needed to hear – that you trust Me. I’ll pick up the ball (of ministry) and will run with it. Peace flooded my soul as I placed my trust in Him.
Our greatest fears are often the pathways to our greatest freedom and intimacy with God. Trusting God frees us to relax and be who our Father designed us to be; trusting in ourselves keeps us in bondage. It may seem like the Holy Spirit is throwing me into the deep end of the pool when I don’t know how to swim, but He will always catch me and lead me. He is the most trustworthy leader we can follow. For ministry to flourish, all I need is to be available (the surrendered YES), to abide in Him, and to trust Him to do what only He can do.
Jesus possessed a healthy form of responsibility. “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). If trusting in His heavenly Dad’s leadership and direction was good enough for Jesus, then it is even more necessary for us.
“We need to realize that in all things our first duty and responsibility is to God Himself.”
Harry Ironside
Relevant Reflection:
How do you leave the responsibility in God’s hands and show Him that you trust Him?
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