Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 449 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Responsibility Is the Key to Success
Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 449 of our trek, and today is Motivation Monday. Every Monday we hike the trails of life that will encourage and motivate us to live a rich and satisfying life this week. Today we will explore how Responsibility Is the Key to Success.
We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. If you were able to listen to last Friday’s podcast, then you know that this past weekend we moved permanently back to The Big House in Marietta, Ohio.
I shared a few details on the reason for the seemingly abrupt decision although we have been planning and praying about it for several months. The final details came together much faster than we anticipated. I recorded this episode last Friday in the middle of our packing and preparation for the move. I will update you on the actual details that transpired over the weekend in Wednesday’s Wisdom-Trek.
The choice to move back to Marietta full time was a difficult one, but one which is responsible for us. And we are confident that it is a prudent choice. As with all choices that we make in life, we need to be responsible and take responsibility for those choices, regardless of the outcome.
To be responsible, you need to be prepared for the challenges and obstacles of life so that you have the ability to respond properly. It could be said that Responsibility = Response Ability. Let me explain on today’s short trek what I mean as we look at…
Responsibility Is the Key to Success
Today on our hike, let’s start with an applicable statement from a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:11, “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.”
One of the great principles we need to emphasize to keep ourselves and our society healthy and productive is the principle of personal responsibility. It’s a principle that needs, through repetition, to be programmed into our core belief system or as we shared on Friday, our philosophy. It needs to be taught and demonstrated in the home and at every level of society—including among the highest business and political leaders in our communities and nation.
It seems that, especially in the western world, we have lost the sense of what responsibility really means. If people don’t believe they are responsible, they will not act responsibly. On the other hand, if we emphasize the principles properly and people believe and know they are responsible, most will consistently act responsibly.
Obviously, we weren’t responsible for much of our background and upbringing, but we are fully responsible for what we do about these and for what we become. The world doesn’t owe us a living. As the Apostle Paul wrote in his 2nd letter to the church in Thessalonians 3:10, “Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: ‘Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.’”
When we repeatedly do anything for others that they can and need to do for themselves, we can make and keep them over-dependent, immature, and irresponsible. It is not the loving thing to do.
I remember reading about some seagulls in a fishing village that, for many years, fed on the scraps the fishermen left. When the fishing industry in this place closed, the seagulls had forgotten how to gather food for themselves. They died of starvation.
The same principle applies to people. When we do things to keep them over-dependent, we destroy their growth and maturity. It’s the same with God, He will bend the heavens to touch the earth to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves—such as giving His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross of Calvary to pay the just penalty for all our sins—but He won’t do for us what we can and need to do for ourselves. Think about it this way, “God feeds the sparrows, but He doesn’t throw the food into their nest.”
One effective way to program responsibility into your unconscious mind is by constantly saying to yourself, either silently or out loud, “I am responsible. I am responsible. I am responsible.” Say it with the feeling that you really mean it and believe it. Just mouthing the words is meaningless. Don’t stop there, actually become responsible in all areas of your life. To paraphrase James 2:14, “What good is it my friends if you say you are responsible but don’t show it by your actions?”
As we end our trek for today, think about the areas of your life where you can become more responsible. Prepare today, so that when the opportunity to act responsibly arrives, you will be able to show your intentions with action.
Tomorrow’s short trek is part of our Wisdom Unplugged series that we are now hiking on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These 3-minute wisdom supplements will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise throughout the entire week. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy these daily doses of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person when you meet with them and invite them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you in and through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek of life together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!
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