Responsibility Is A Pretty Valuable Character Trait, After All

I think “responsibility” is an underappreciated value. Being responsible brings to mind qualities like being steady and reliable. These concepts almost sound boring to most of us.

“That Joe is a steady fellow!”

It makes you want to yawn, right? It doesn’t seem very flashy or cool!

But responsible people are often the ones who get important things done. (Do you want a responsible person to oversee the building of the bridge you are driving on or an irresponsible person?)

Responsible people typically do not look to blame others if things don’t go as planned. (This is a big deal in our “everyone-else-is-to-blame-except-me” culture.)

When people find themselves facing serious problems it is usually a responsible person they turn to for help.

As I think about my life and the people who have had the most significant influence, I realize it has been the people who were responsible. Unfortunately, I think I often took their responsibility for granted. I thought their responsibility was a given, as if it was automatic and could never be any other way. I, often, did not appreciate what an important and valuable character trait it is.

I am realizing these responsible people are pretty special, after all.

Could God Do Something Profound In A Church Service?

Some people think of church services as stodgy, dull, boring, dry, predictable events at which very little of interest or value could happen. I’ve been to a lifetime of church services and I’m aware of that reality.

And it is why I sit here on Sunday morning thinking like this: Could God do something good, helpful, challenging, important, interesting and even surprising in the midst of a church service?

Of course, you already know my answer. I’m expecting something significant to happen in our services today. I’m believing God will be here and people will connect with Him. I’m trusting that our lives will be impacted and we will draw closer to God and to His truth.

Prayer: “Lord, surprise us today. May we know that in our time at the service this morning, we had a genuine encounter with you.”

You are invited to join us…

First Church of God

4600 W. 111^th Street

Oak Lawn, IL

Service times:  9am and 11am

Even Though Life Can Seem To Be Very Predictable... We Are Still Not In Control

Life can be incredibly routine. In fact, sometimes people go for years living a daily routine that is so similar and so predictable that one of life’s key problems can seem to be it is just plain boring.

These aspects of daily living can be misleading, however. They may tempt us to believe we have more control over life than we actually do. But what often happens is after a lengthy period of predictability some event comes along like a sharp strike to the solar plexus giving us a stark reminder that, actually, life is not as predictable or controllable as we thought.

The truth is that there is one person in control.

It is possible for us to know the one who is in control. And that is tremendously helpful when the sharp strike to the solar plexus comes along.