Responsibility in Scripture The Character of God
Responsibility in My Life
Jesus did what His Father sent Him to do. (See John 9:4.) He paid His taxes. (See Matthew 17:27.) He said what His Father wanted Him to say. (See John 12:49.) He made sure His mother was taken care of. (See John 19:26-27.)
Proverbs 25:13: How does my being faithful bless others?
We are Responsible to God For our Thoughts “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:5). For our Words “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36). For our Actions “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (II Corinthians 5:10).
Proverbs 25:19: What is it like to put confidence in an unfaithful man? Luke 16:10-11: What shows that a person is ready to be trusted with more? What are some of the little ways you could demonstrate faithfulness?
Key Concepts Having a responsibility means that it is our job or duty to fulfill the task. If we do our job well, it is to our credit. However, if we do not take care of what is assigned to us, we will be held accountable for the results. When have you seen someone receive credit or blame for what they did? Our God is faithful, and He will not give us a responsibility without enabling us to do it. “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (I Thessalonians 5:24). Have you asked God to show you how to fulfill the responsibilities He has given you? There are times when we experience conflict between what God expects and what others expect. In these times, we can be steadfast and at peace if our trust is in the Lord. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee [God]” (Isaiah 26:3) The Hebrew word used for both “perfect” and “peace” is Shalom. Shalom is how you can be on the inside when there is a major storm on the outside.
Responsibility Memory Verse Romans 14:12
“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.� Memory Verse Game: Clap-the-Word: Have everyone say the verse together three times. Next, select a child to step out of the room while the rest of the children agree on a word they will clap instead of say when quoting the verse. The child comes back into the room. He listens as the others quote the verse, and he tries to guess which word they clapped instead of saying it aloud.
Doers of the Word: Have the children write about a time when God reminded them of their accountability to Him, and how it helped them choose to be responsible. For Example: Mom asked me to take out the trash. I wanted to go play, but God reminded me that others are counting on me to do my job, so I went back to the kitchen to take out the trash. ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________
Responsibility in the Life of Miriam
Read Exodus 1:1-2:10 and 3:9-10 as a family and answer the following questions.
1. Why did Moses’ family hide him? “And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive” (Exodus 1:22). What laws might create a challenge for families today? 2. How might Miriam, who was probably 9-12 years old, have helped make the waterproof basket? “And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch. . .” (Exodus 2:3a). What responsibilities around the house could you help with? 3. When Miriam and her family fulfilled their responsibility, what did God do? “And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it” (Exodus 2:5). How have you seen God work when you did your responsibilities? 4. How did Miriam take responsibility to care for her younger brother? “And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother” (Exodus 2:8). How can you show responsibility for your brothers and sisters?
5. How did Moses’ mother demonstrate responsibility by returning him to Pharaoh’s daughter? “And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water” (Exodus 2:10). When is it difficult to fulfill your responsibilities? 6. Eighty years later, God gave Moses what responsibility? “Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:9-10). How are others depending on you to fulfill your responsibilities? 7. When making responsible choices, what do we need to remember? “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).
Responsibility Activity Charades Introduction: This month we are asking the Lord to develop responsibility into our lives. What a privilege to hear Him and allow Him to change us into the image of His Son! Often this is the reason He gives us jobs to do. Today we are going to discuss jobs we have around the house, the importance of each one, and how God can use them to build responsibility into our lives.
Activity Instructions: Have the children search the house for an item that reminds them of a responsibility that they have. Afterwards, gather together and have each child act out his/her responsibility relating to the item that was found. Let the other children guess what job is being acted out. Ask them, “What would happen if no one did this job?”; “What should we do when God reminds us to do a job?”; “How is this job helping me become like Christ?”; “Which is more important: The fact that the job is done or the fact that we are allowing God to change us into the image of His Son?”
Possible Gathered Items: • Apron/Cookware • Waste Basket/Trash Bags • Plate/Silverware • Light Bulb/Electronics • Broom/Dust Rag • Clothes/Shoes • Books/Toys • Tools/School Supplies
Hymn History of
Let the Lower Lights be Burning
It was growing dark. The waves of the vast Lake Erie—almost a little ocean in itself—hissed and curled against the base of the inner lighthouse near Cleveland, Ohio. The lighthouse keeper’s job wasn’t always convenient. His job was to keep the great lighthouse inside the harbor lit and also to tend and light a line of smaller oil lanterns to guide ships into the channel toward the harbor. The inner harbor had been created as a safe haven where ships could flee when the sudden and dangerous Lake Erie storms arose. Despite the great lighthouse beacon, a ship would be dashed to pieces on the rocks without the little lights to lead them through the narrow, rock-lined passage. You can imagine what it would be like to go out into the gathering blackness and painstakingly trudge from light to light, filling and lighting each lantern. It was a thankless task—the lighthouse keeper had been on this job for several years, and rarely had any ship needed to find the harbor at night. Why should he even bother? Maybe it was this discouraging thought, or his health, or an oversight, but, whatever the reason, the lights were not lit that night. As the night deepened, a violent storm hurled itself upon Lake Erie that could toss great ships as if they were toys and smash them against the shorelines with terrifying, deadly menace. The storms on this huge lake are not to be trifled with. As the tempest grew into roaring mountains of turbulent waves and screaming winds, a desperate captain tensed beside the wheel of his ship. Nearby stood an old pilot, also straining his eyes into the ominous blackness. Underneath, the ship heaved and creaked, and the wooden decks were slippery with water. e captain squinted into the darkness. “Are you sure this is Cleveland?” he asked Th the pilot. “Quite sure, Sir,” replied the pilot, his hands clamped fast upon the wheel. “But where are the lower lights?” “They are out, Sir.” “Can you make it?” “We must sir, or we’ll perish.” There was nothing else they could do. Desperately, the old pilot tried to find his way into the channel without the lights that should have been there—but the pitiless sea fractured and pulverized the ship against the rocky shoreline. Many lives were lost that night—all because of one man who did not do his job.
A young man named Philip P. Bliss read, with horror, the headlines and the story of how one man’s careless negligence could be so deadly. But it was only when he heard D. L. Moody use it in a sermon that it struck Philip Bliss to the heart. Moody ended his stirring sermon with: “Brethren, the Master will take care of the great lighthouse; let us keep the lower lights burning.” As Philip told a friend afterwards, “. . . when I heard Mr. Moody use it as an illustration in his sermon that night, I cried out in my heart, ‘Bliss, you are just as guilty as the man in the story. As a Christian, you are to be one of the lower lights shining brightly so that some poor soul tossed about on the sea of life may find safety and everlasting life in the haven that God has prepared.’ ” The story stuck in his mind forcefully, and within a week Philip Bliss had written the hymn which we sing today: “Brightly beams our Father’s mercy / From His lighthouse evermore / But to us He gives the keeping / Of the lights along the shore.” We are entrusted with responsibilities as well. Like the lighthouse keeper, people are depending on us to complete our jobs. Some responsibilities are an opportunity to be a witness for Christ. Do we keep our “lights” shining? Are we showing responsibility by shining for Christ in this dark world, sharing the way of safety with people who are drowning in sin and misery?
Bibliography: • 101 More Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck, pages 174-176. • Al Smith’s Treasury of Hymn Histories by Al Smith, pages 182-183. • Crusade Hymn Stories by Billy Graham and the Crusade Musicians, edited by Cliff Barrows, pages 84-86.