False Sense of Responsibility

Recently, I recognized a problem within myself. When I was corrected on something I did, instead of realizing the growth that I needed, I felt the need to explain myself. The word “but” became a go-to in my vocabulary. 

Why are we like this? When we are corrected or when things fail, why do we always feel the need to explain ourselves, explain our thought process, explain why we did what clearly was not acceptable? One may say flesh, which is very true, but (here I go again; but this time it's for good!) I want to expand on that a bit. 

Luke 10:38-42 (AMP) says,

38 Now while they were on their way, Jesus entered a village [called Bethany], and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was continually listening to His teaching. 40 But Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her serving responsibilities; and she approached Him and said, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.” 41 But the Lord replied to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things;42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her advantage], which will not be taken away from her.”

In this case, like the title, Martha had a false sense of responsibility. What I mean by this is that she was so distracted by what she thought she had to do that she missed what she needed to do. That's the exact mindset we adopt when we may have “good” intentions, but the end result yields something contradictory. Like Martha, you can be trying to do what you think is right and end up doing wrong. Why? Because He never told you to do that. 

I felt my actions warranted an explanation because I felt responsible for something that The Lord never told me to do. Everything that He required of me, He would tell me, I wouldn’t tell myself. 

Jesus said “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)  Saints, since this is a criteria, Father is obligated to tell us what His will is for our lives. He is also obligated to set us straight when we seem to lose sight of what He wants for us:  “I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]” (John 15:1-2)

I urge you, do not fall into the same trap as Martha and me. Get before The Father and pray to Him Isaiah 43:26 if you are ever in doubt of what you are to be doing in your walk with Him:

Isaiah 43:26 (NKJV)

Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be acquitted.