Am I Responsible for Others?

For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone…Romans 14:7.

For many years, my mornings have begun with reading prayers from the following books…

The Power of a Praying Woman…the Power of a Praying Wife…The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children…and the Power of a Praying Parent…by Stormie Omartian.

These books have taught me that I need to take time to pray for myself…encouraging me to be the Woman of God that HE has called me to be.

The Power of a Praying Wife has helped me to know how to better pray for my husband…guiding my prayers for him each day.

And I have been so thankful for the prayers written for my adult children…children…prayers that I am now praying over my grandchildren!

I begin with the prayers written in all of the books…and then ask God to lead me as I continue to pray for myself, husband, children and grandchildren…and other children, family members, friends that I hold dear to my heart!

My mornings have also included reading from a devotional!  I have read several devotionals over the years, but time and time again…I come back to…My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers!

And though I have read through this devotional several times over the years…there are many days as I feel as though I am reading it for the first time!

There are some days that a daily devotional reading will just jump out at me…touching my heart…speaking directly to my spirit…as though I am reading those words for the very first time!

This happened this past week, when one of my morning readings opened up with the following question:

Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people?

Is that true? 

I know that I am called to be a light in this dark word…I know that I am called to share the gospel of Jesus Christ…I know that I desire to be the tangible touch of Jesus Christ…but am I really responsible spiritually to God for others?

My devotional continued with…”For instance, if I allow any turning away from God in my private life, everyone around me suffers.  We sit together in the heavenly places…”Ephesians 2:6

“If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it…1 Corinthians 12:26.

As I continued reading, these words jumped out at me…If you allow physical selfishness…mental carelessness…moral insensitivity…or spiritual weakness…everyone in contact with you will suffer.

I know that I have done all of the above way more than I would like to imagine!

And to realize that my selfishness…carelessness…insensitivity…spiritual weakness has caused others to suffer grieves my heart.

And as I was pondering this revelation, my devotional reading asked the very question that I was thinking…”Who is sufficient to be able to live up to such a lofty standard?

Can I live up to this high standard?

Fortunately, those who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior recognize that our sufficiency comes from God. 

2 Corinthians 3:5 says… Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.

We cannot do this on our own.  Our strength comes from the Lord!

And because God has strengthened us to do his work, his word tells us that we shall be witnesses to Him.

I am still taking all of this in, when my devotional reading continued to challenge me as I read the second tough question that morning:

How many of us are willing to spend every bit of our nervous, mental, moral and spiritual energy for Jesus Christ.  That is what God means when He uses the word witness!

God did not leave this earth so that each of us could simply be saved and sanctified.  We are called to be at work and service him.

And the final question that was raised in my reading that particular morning was…

Am I willing to be broken bread and poured-out wine for Him? 

Am I willing to be of no value to this age or this life except for one purpose and one alone – to be used to disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ?

Whew!  Those are all thought-provoking questions!

I have to confess…I am not there yet!

I let selfishness come in…I think of myself instead of others!

I want my own way sometimes…and sometimes I want my own way immediately!

And then I re-read the key verse of this daily devotional… For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone…Romans 14:7.

It is not about me.  It’s about serving God.

It’s about serving Him…whenever…wherever…He calls me to serve.

And as I finished reading…I was encouraged by these words…

My life of service to God is the way I say “thank you” to Him for His inexpressibly wonderful salvation…Oswald Chambers.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins so that we might spend eternity in Heaven with our Heavenly Father!

This free gift is offered to each of us!  And because I have accepted this free gift…I choose to serve Him all the days of my life! 

I may be a work in progress…but I so desire to say “thank you” with my thoughts…words…and actions…bringing glory and honor to His name.

And you may be feeling just like me…that you have so many areas that need work! 

That’s ok!  Come to Jesus just as you are!  I promise you he won’t leave you where you are…and HE desires nothing more than for you to simple say…Here I am Lord…use me!

Dear Heavenly Father…though each of us is still a work in progress…use us for your glory!  May we live lives completely surrendered to you…desiring to serve you.  We are so blessed for the free gift of salvation…help us to say “thank you” by serving you, Lord!