Taking Responsibility

So often as a people we hunger for the blessings of the Kingdom of God, without the trial, or the testing or the work that comes with carrying the anointing.

One of the problems we face culturally that has hampered the impact of the church in Nigeria in the Kingdom is spiritual laziness and lack of accountability. We have come to Christ not for a relationship but to have someone who will do all the work for us. When we pray, we complain more than we commune. We’ve spent no tim building relationship, trust, faith, learning and understanding the characteristic of a son from that of a servant, understanding duty, or what God wants from us. We came to benefit without investment.

I would go as far as to say most Christians came to God expecting to be able to lounge and retire who He does all the work. interesting fact though, you;re not the first and you won’t be the last, but the people who get set apart are the ones are willing to sacrifice and not live in mediocrity just so they don’t have to work.

There are many in western countries who would rather claim unemployment benefits and do nothing, than get a job. Here, in Nigeria, you have the parents that send their children to beg and bring what they got for the day to them. It is a nature of the flesh to desire benefits without effort. It is also a servant mindset.

We see this when the Israelites are brought out of captivity in Egypt. We have a tendency to want to be upgraded with no discomfort or effort. All of a sudden the life you complained about becomes attractive because you didn’t bare the weight of responsibilities. Whilst in Egypt the Israelites wanted out, were desperate for freedom, but weren’t ready to pay the price for freedom. The moment freedom came and they saw discomfort they were ready to turn around and go back.

“Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.””

Exodus 16:2-3 NKJV

“So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.””

Numbers 14:1-4 NKJV

We have to be ready to step up, to take responsibility, to stand and persist, to stop looking at this walk as the easy way out, it takes work to be in the Kingdom of God. The work of faith and obedience, the work of love and diligence. God is not someone we tell to do everything and turn to blame when things don’t workout. A lot of us aren’t even looking for a relationship, but looking for a scapegoat. What is the first thing Adam did when God confronted him, he blamed God, “it was the woman YOU gave me”

And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:11-12 NKJV

You have to be ready to take responsibility in your relationship with God, to sacrifice, to know it isn’t a one way street or you will never see the fullness of what God has for you. An unwillingness to invest in this walk with God will have you call yourself a king but live in poverty without ever seeing the true fullness of the Kingdom. Don’t miss God cause you weren’t ready to try.