A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Divine Direction: 7 Decisions ThatWill Change Your Life (p. 53). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
This is a very important principle for each one of us to learn, the principle of accepting responsibility.
Craig says, “Part of becoming a mature adult is learning over time to accept responsibility for your choices. You learn that if you drive over the speed limit, you could get a ticket. If you date the wrong person, you could end up heartbroken, struggling to trust again. And if you beer-bong a six-pack of cheap beer in less than twenty minutes, you’ll find yourself hugging a toilet as if you just asked it to marry you and it said yes.
“On the other hand, if you show up at work on time every day and do your best work, your boss approves and gives you a raise. If you start exercising and you improve your diet, your waist size shrinks and you feel better about yourself. And if you attend class, listen, take notes, and actually study for exams, good grades are not out of your reach.”
He then says, “Every choice you make, both big and small, affects aspects of your life. You either learn to take responsibility for your actions, or you learn to make excuses and find scapegoats. Even when things happen that are beyond your control, even when—no, especially when—you make mistakes, you still choose how you respond. Wisdom is God’s navigational tool for helping us make decisions about the life we want to live. The tricky part is stopping for a moment and actually using it before we make the wrong decision.”
So, have you learned to take responsibility for your actions or to make excuses and find scapegoats?
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