Taking responsibility for our lives means owning our behaviour, confessing our sin, and turning away from destructive actions. As we choose to give up our old ways of thinking and behaving, learn God's ways and start living according to God's principles, we will experience healing that becomes evident in our responsible dealings with others.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25 NIV)
When we turn our will and our life over to Jesus we change from being controlled by our own feelings to being people who find freedom. Freedom grows as we more and more surrender to the guidance of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. We learn the ways of the Lord by reading and obeying the scriptures as written in the Bible. God shows us how to apply His principles to our individual circumstances as we take time to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in each situation. Our commitment to taking responsibility for our new life in Christ will be tested and we will need to persevere in choosing God's ways because they are often quite different from popular thinking in our culture.
No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:11-12 NLT)
As we draw closer to God and embrace His will for our lives we will find that we are being changed from the inside out. Old ways and habits give way to responsible action as the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth.
Prayer: Loving God, Help me to surrender to Your guidance as I accept responsibility for my life. My desire is to wholeheartedly follow Your principles in all my affairs. AMEN
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