Jack’s Winning Words
“God has entrusted me with myself.” (Epictetus) There used to be an expression by Flip Wilson that: The Devil made me do it. We like to find ways to blame others for our shortcomings. It ain’t gonna work! This quote from a famous Stoic philosopher says that we alone are responsible for our actions. Life is a great gift from God, and, with life, comes Free Will and whatever results from its use. Handle with care. ;-) Jack 5/2/08
FROM J.L. IN MICHIGAN: What an awesome responsibility...one ignored by most. I thank God everyday He made me and apologize each day for falling so short. However, with His Amazing Grace we can't go wrong. "He don't make junque!"
FROM R.I. IN BOSTON: That half dozen words reveals the totality of our personal responsibility. We have to see the light and take the heat.
FROM MOLINER G.S.: Then what does Bondage of the Will, by Martin Luther mean?
FROM M.E. IN CALIF: like this one.
FROM MOLINER C.F.: With a guy like me. God is too trusting. I'm sure He's still looking out for my best interests.
FROM PR J.S. IN MICHIGAN: "An enemy has done this!"
FROM PR G.W. IN TEXAS: Back in the day, I loved to watch The Flip Wilson Show on television. Many of his comedy sketches teetered on that thin line that distinguishes comedy from tragedy. When placed in situations where consequences for his bad choices were inevitable, Flip would shout in his own self-defense, “The devil made me do it!” It’s a cry I’ve often heard, and even been tempted to use myself, when one’s actions are held accountable by others. It’s easy to place the blame on others or circumstances or even the devil when caught in the web of bad choices and bad behavior. Sharing the blame for bad is easy.
If it’s so easy to place blame on the devil for the bad that we do, why isn’t as easy for us to give credit to the source of the good that we do? Sunday is Pentecost, the celebration of the birth of the Christian church and its empowering with the gift of the Holy Spirit. That gift of the Holy Spirit, given with Jesus’ gentle breath to the disciples in Sunday’s Good News, sent with the power of violent winds, fire-torched tongues and linguistic miracles, is the same Holy Spirit poured over our heads and into our hearts and minds in the waters of baptism. And that Holy Spirit is the reason we believe what believe, live as we live, do what we do and are what we are. When anyone asks why any one of us or all of us together do whatever good we are able to do, we should shout “The Spirit makes me do it!”
2 comments:
So true. Seems like we spend our whole lives learning to listen to what God is telling us and act on that and not internalizing all of the devil's talk that will only lead us to destructive behavior towards God, towards others and towards our own being. I regard reading your Winning Words each morning, Pastor Freed, as part of my listening to God and helping me to do good during the day.
God bless you,
Sharon
I like this Winning Words and also all the entries on your blog trying to sort out the Winning Words that I read them again today. Wonder if all or most of us have had some example from our childhood, some authority figure, that we thought had impacted us negatively and we've been freed by God's work in our lives from history's control over us. I think we can choose to go in the direction of freedom and it feels sooooooo gooooood to forgive and not blame the other and to know we have the power to take responsibility for our own actions and thankfulness when the consequences are good instead of evil. Kingdom building. Like the dialogue on this topic--it's such a hard one for me to come to an understanding on and my mind is being stretched on it. Thanks, Pastor Freed. In Bible study we're studying Exodus so all of this is jelling together.
Sharon
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