A Practical Guide for Transformative Growth Part 3Sample

Responsibility

At our most immature stage, we have no self-governance, so we are controlled by others. Obvious examples of this in society would be criminals who must be punished with fines or jail time to force them to conform to the laws of the land. This was where the children of Israel were when Moses brought them out of Egypt in the Old Testament.

Many of us may be in this position. We have a slave mentality where we have abdicated our responsibility for the outcomes of our lives. We see ourselves as powerless in the face of external circumstances and societal injustices.

We all come to a point in our lives when we must decide whether to allow life to happen to us or to live purposefully. Or said another way, to live with intentionality. If we do not prioritize the things that are important to God, the world will happily fill up our schedule for us. We must become self-governed to God's Biblical standards.

However, the Bible does have its limits. If we faithfully allow God to train our hearts through the Scriptures, then we should become more like Christ and navigate life with the right heart values. We should want to forgive others, show mercy, make peace, have patience, be kind, etc. However, sometimes we face choices between two or more good options, or we just don’t have all of the information needed to make a Godly decision. So what do we do?

Jesus introduces a third level of maturity. He demonstrates internal governance by the Father through the Holy Spirit. Then He dies, is resurrected, and sends the Holy Spirit to live inside of us, enabling us to walk as He did. The power of Jesus’ life was that He knew what His Father’s will was in every situation, and so can we.