The word accountability has nearly faded into the dust of the American culture. The meaning of the word itself, it seems, has died from the sword.
There are certain people in our lives that we are inherently expected to hold ourselves accountable to: parents, teachers, spouses, and peers in positions of authority in the workplace as a few examples. However, accountability has fallen like that of an avalanche of snow from the highest peak of human imagination.
One may ask, as I do, "How did this happen?" And even further, "At what point did this happen?"
For many of you reading this, you would agree that it is not a problem in understanding the meaning of the word. Our parents understood; for certain our grandparents understood, but the reality remains that accountability has drifted far into the vast ocean toward becoming abolition, generation by generation.
The "millennial" generation is a perfect example. I readily admit that some of Generation "X" and even some people in Generation "Y" fall into this category, but by-and-large, the current generation is completely oblivious to the idea of accountability.
If the larger majority for Generation "X" and Generation "Y" were labeled, one might say they appropriately fall into the category represented by the acronym "WIIFM," better known as "What's in it for me?" Millennials might as well be called Generation "E," or Generation "Entitlement." Technology is partly to blame, but the brunt of the problem to the death of accountability falls squarely on the shoulders of parents.
In Asian culture, it is unacceptable to, and not even an option, to disrespect or defy your parents. Their word is gospel. Their words are not to be challenged. They are the ultimate authority. And if there are grandparents in the household, the same rule of hierarchy follows. They are the ones with the "trump card." Husband over wife. "It is what it is," so they say.
Personally, I would like to see a one-hundred and eighty degree shift. There is no reason not to return to the philosophy where accountability is the rule as opposed to the exception, prevalent, followed and inherently understood by all. That being said, "No man is an island." It will take a dramatic and drastic shift in perspective for any small, much less monumental, shift to occur. Perhaps if all people were separated simultaneously, at all the earth's fault lines by a swift and ferocious quake it might help; or perhaps even dramatic separation renders the idea of accountability a "pipe dream."
The question becomes, "Are we too far gone to return to, and embrace accountability?"
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Righteousness: Wrap-Up
The idea of being "righteous" is hard to wrap our heads around and hard to achieve. If you were to ask 6 people their personal definition of the word, you would almost certainly get 6 different answers. Christian or not, righteousness escapes most of us.
In Part I, we looked to the Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionaries for some guidance. Both have a form of the word morality in the definition. Justifiable is used, as is divine in the definition. We talked about immorality; how is has become sensationalized to the point where "breaking news" and "top story" headlines are used as opposed to desensitizing immorality and reality in favor of what is right and just. Personally, I would rather find the gifts inherent by God's grace noted in Proverbs 21:21 where it says, "Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor." To me, that seems more like the ticket to the train that I would prefer to be on. Go back and review the verses from Matthew, Proverbs, Psalms, 1 Timothy and Romans for review.
Part II focused on people. The question was, "Who in the Bible was righteous?" We find in scripture that Noah, Daniel and Job were credited by the Lord as being righteous. Most have heard the story of the covenant between Noah and God and the rainbow. As a Christian, it is a reminder to me when I see a rainbow in the sky. For those not familiar with this story and God's promise to never again flood the earth, turn to Genesis 9:12-17. Daniel was given favor for his faith. He did not have to accept the similar stature of a slave to Nebuchadnezzar, but he did. He remained faithful, and righteous in his actions, seeking God's wisdom during every step and we see his reward in Daniel 12:8-13. Job's story is unique and powerful. God "allowed" the devil to test his faith. His flocks and herds were stripped from him. His servants, the same. Even his sons and daughters were taken from him, but he remained faithful. Incredibly hard to imagine, much less explain and personally endure, but Job did not waiver. Turn to Job 29:14 for a recap of Job's definition of righteousness. Remember also the promise for the stars in heaven, found in Daniel 12:3, as your reward for righteousness.
In Part III we learned that different variations directly related to the word righteousness can be found sixty-four times in the Bible. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy about the "crown of righteousness," noting that those who seek the coming of the Lord will be awarded. The precursor to Paul's mention of the crown of righteousness is the way that he "ran the good race" for Christ. He was determined, diligent, reflective, passionate and interested in his effectiveness to reach people for the Kingdom of God. Three verses were noted, all coming from Galatians. Galatians 2:15-16, 3:10-14 and 5:13-18. The people of Galatia were still extremely rooted in the Mosaic law, but Paul wrote to them and came to them to present his case for living by faith, as Jesus did. We ended by examining the role that the Holy Spirit can provide in our desire to live by faith, harnessing its power and embracing the "fruits of the Spirit."
Part IV was our beginning to dissecting the "fruits of the Spirit." The verse is found in Galatians 5:22-23. It provides 9 principles that can be used, and require and will not submit to any law. I used an example from finance to provide the similarity to the idea of the "sum of the parts" being "worth more than the whole." The 9 "fruits of the Spirit" may be independently and inherently different, but using even one, or a combination thereof, will push you in the direction of righteous behavior. When all else fails, look to 1 Corinthians 13:8, "Love never fails."
In Part V, I presented the idea of using the "sum of the parts" theory; with the "fruits of the Spirit" in mind, in our pursuit to achieve righteousness. We once again referenced the Oxford Dictionary for the definition of pursue. God is interested in seeing us: 1) chase Him, and 2) proceed along in our divine route. We are to grow. We are to learn. We are to share. To become an expert at either, takes guidance, hard work and practice. Advisors will be helpful, but it is important to note that we will stumble and fall on our pursuit in as close to as humanly possible; perfection in chasing after others; for God. I referenced Galatians 2:2, where Paul writes about the pursuit of perfection. In these verses, he is evaluating his effectiveness from his early days in sharing and telling the gospel story in Jerusalem. I also pointed you to Matthew 28:19, better known as "the Great Commission." A relationship with Jesus Christ will increase your effectiveness in your evangelical walk, given that you also understand the importance of belief, community, faith and growth that becomes that special relationship with Jesus. Think big, start small, reach higher.
Part VI begins with a verse that correctly provides the foundational structure for obtaining righteousness. I was God's substitution of sin, for us, by allowing Jesus to be crucified on the cross, eliminating our sin. In Him, we wear not a crimson robe, but one of white. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:21 for the verse explaining this substitution. I continued on with the idea of employing the "Great Commission," taking it one step further; that of leaving a legacy. The legacy of mine and yours will be entirely different than those of the most respected names in the pulpit for God, but is ours any less important? I would think not. We all want to matter. We all want to make our mark. That is what "leaving a legacy" is all about. That is one of the reasons I have chosen to write. To leave a legacy that will be everlasting, we must submit to the will of God. It is He who has the instruction manual that you have yet to read that will allow you to become the benefactor that you had hoped for. The Bible is your guidebook. It is the "key to the castle" that will grant you access to God's instruction for your life. Leaving the legacy you desire to leave, is possible with the key to the Kingdom. Each f us have a different job to complete in advancing God's Kingdom. You have already identified the skills that are God-given, and He will require you to obtain more for His purposes along your journey. Look to the promises in Romans 2:6 and Psalms 37:28.
As they say, "the view is better from the top; looking down."
In Part I, we looked to the Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionaries for some guidance. Both have a form of the word morality in the definition. Justifiable is used, as is divine in the definition. We talked about immorality; how is has become sensationalized to the point where "breaking news" and "top story" headlines are used as opposed to desensitizing immorality and reality in favor of what is right and just. Personally, I would rather find the gifts inherent by God's grace noted in Proverbs 21:21 where it says, "Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor." To me, that seems more like the ticket to the train that I would prefer to be on. Go back and review the verses from Matthew, Proverbs, Psalms, 1 Timothy and Romans for review.
Part II focused on people. The question was, "Who in the Bible was righteous?" We find in scripture that Noah, Daniel and Job were credited by the Lord as being righteous. Most have heard the story of the covenant between Noah and God and the rainbow. As a Christian, it is a reminder to me when I see a rainbow in the sky. For those not familiar with this story and God's promise to never again flood the earth, turn to Genesis 9:12-17. Daniel was given favor for his faith. He did not have to accept the similar stature of a slave to Nebuchadnezzar, but he did. He remained faithful, and righteous in his actions, seeking God's wisdom during every step and we see his reward in Daniel 12:8-13. Job's story is unique and powerful. God "allowed" the devil to test his faith. His flocks and herds were stripped from him. His servants, the same. Even his sons and daughters were taken from him, but he remained faithful. Incredibly hard to imagine, much less explain and personally endure, but Job did not waiver. Turn to Job 29:14 for a recap of Job's definition of righteousness. Remember also the promise for the stars in heaven, found in Daniel 12:3, as your reward for righteousness.
In Part III we learned that different variations directly related to the word righteousness can be found sixty-four times in the Bible. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy about the "crown of righteousness," noting that those who seek the coming of the Lord will be awarded. The precursor to Paul's mention of the crown of righteousness is the way that he "ran the good race" for Christ. He was determined, diligent, reflective, passionate and interested in his effectiveness to reach people for the Kingdom of God. Three verses were noted, all coming from Galatians. Galatians 2:15-16, 3:10-14 and 5:13-18. The people of Galatia were still extremely rooted in the Mosaic law, but Paul wrote to them and came to them to present his case for living by faith, as Jesus did. We ended by examining the role that the Holy Spirit can provide in our desire to live by faith, harnessing its power and embracing the "fruits of the Spirit."
Part IV was our beginning to dissecting the "fruits of the Spirit." The verse is found in Galatians 5:22-23. It provides 9 principles that can be used, and require and will not submit to any law. I used an example from finance to provide the similarity to the idea of the "sum of the parts" being "worth more than the whole." The 9 "fruits of the Spirit" may be independently and inherently different, but using even one, or a combination thereof, will push you in the direction of righteous behavior. When all else fails, look to 1 Corinthians 13:8, "Love never fails."
In Part V, I presented the idea of using the "sum of the parts" theory; with the "fruits of the Spirit" in mind, in our pursuit to achieve righteousness. We once again referenced the Oxford Dictionary for the definition of pursue. God is interested in seeing us: 1) chase Him, and 2) proceed along in our divine route. We are to grow. We are to learn. We are to share. To become an expert at either, takes guidance, hard work and practice. Advisors will be helpful, but it is important to note that we will stumble and fall on our pursuit in as close to as humanly possible; perfection in chasing after others; for God. I referenced Galatians 2:2, where Paul writes about the pursuit of perfection. In these verses, he is evaluating his effectiveness from his early days in sharing and telling the gospel story in Jerusalem. I also pointed you to Matthew 28:19, better known as "the Great Commission." A relationship with Jesus Christ will increase your effectiveness in your evangelical walk, given that you also understand the importance of belief, community, faith and growth that becomes that special relationship with Jesus. Think big, start small, reach higher.
Part VI begins with a verse that correctly provides the foundational structure for obtaining righteousness. I was God's substitution of sin, for us, by allowing Jesus to be crucified on the cross, eliminating our sin. In Him, we wear not a crimson robe, but one of white. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:21 for the verse explaining this substitution. I continued on with the idea of employing the "Great Commission," taking it one step further; that of leaving a legacy. The legacy of mine and yours will be entirely different than those of the most respected names in the pulpit for God, but is ours any less important? I would think not. We all want to matter. We all want to make our mark. That is what "leaving a legacy" is all about. That is one of the reasons I have chosen to write. To leave a legacy that will be everlasting, we must submit to the will of God. It is He who has the instruction manual that you have yet to read that will allow you to become the benefactor that you had hoped for. The Bible is your guidebook. It is the "key to the castle" that will grant you access to God's instruction for your life. Leaving the legacy you desire to leave, is possible with the key to the Kingdom. Each f us have a different job to complete in advancing God's Kingdom. You have already identified the skills that are God-given, and He will require you to obtain more for His purposes along your journey. Look to the promises in Romans 2:6 and Psalms 37:28.
As they say, "the view is better from the top; looking down."
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