Blessing Equals Responsibility

I've wondered a lot about the pathway to having good things in life. What does that pathway look like? How can you have assurance that you're going the right way? 

Just like the image below, usually the path is a journey. Like nature it can be unpredictable like the rapidly changing weather (literally 20 minutes later it started to thunder snow). But the journey can bring great joy from the beauty displayed or the sounds of nature.  

(Mountain Trail, Crested Butte, CO)

Lately, I've found my mind drifting towards these questions. My life is good, but mundane. I long to experience exciting new adventures, but I get this gut feeling that the pathway to a life of blessing may look different than what I desire. This gut feeling wants to lead me to the belief that discipline in the ordinary leads to blessing in the long run. Common sense also say's this is true. 

I want to take you back in time to a distant memory in time. I was working as a night shift Dispatch Manager for a local airport shuttle company. My shift has come to a close and I'm driving home on the highway home around 1am. These night drives home were a breath of fresh air after a long day in customer service. The quiet solitude in the cool night air with the mountains to my right and the stars above as I sped by the flashing yellow light intersections brought great rest for my soul. With rest came an time to open up my soul to the Lord reflecting on the day in thanksgiving, worship, and laying down the burdens of the day. 

One night as I was speeding home in the night, I turned on worship music singing praises to the Lord. Out of no where, I felt an impression in my soul attached to a brief thought, 'blessing equals responsibility'. The lyrics I was singing had nothing to do with this thought or impression. My mind was way past my day and it was so out of place that I thought this might be the Spirit of God. 

For the next several days, my mind kept drifting towards this statement. Personally at the time, my initial impression of this statement was I don't like it. Responsibility usually brings to do's that no one wants to do, that are stressful, and can have blessing like money or networking connections or new work opportunities but may not leave the feeling of joy. 

Fast forward back to the present. As my heart has been yearning for excitement, this same statement has been ringing in my mind. Again, I think this is the Spirit of God. Primarily because I don't tend to think that way. Secondarily, the Lord has lead me to focus on creative outlets like blogging and art. These activities can lead to wonderful opportunities through time, dedication, discipline, and training. I'm not sure if the Lord cares about an end goal, but I've found I have some ambitions regarding these creative outlets. 

Another word for these activities could be synonymous with responsibility. Perhaps the creative activities themselves could be swapped out with blessings. 

Recently I visited a new church and the Pastor was preaching through Genesis 1 about Adam and Eve being created, called good by God, and given dominion and authority on the earth among many other things. The statement, blessings equals responsibility once again arose to the surface of my mind. The Lord blessed Adam and Eve and then gave them responsibility in the earth or to subdue it. Along with a command to multiply which is another responsibility and a form of blessing. 

This thought led me to recall a few other passages of scripture. Like Jesus calling his apostles, then in Matthew 10 giving them authority to cast out demons, heal the sick, and share the kingdom of heaven as He commanded them to go to the house of Israel. 

The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 is another example to highlight as well. I'm sure there are many more to rediscover in scripture. These realizations of patterns in the text about the statement, 'blessing equals responsibility' gave me assurance to discern that this was truly from the Spirit of God. Just like 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 instructs us. 

"Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil."

1) I did not quench this statement from being revealed but chose to meditate on it. Even though I did not fully understand it all those years ago. 

2) Even though my heart wasn't soft or completely open towards this statement I did not despise or reject it right away. 

3) Tested it by referencing scripture discovering a pattern of the statement numerous passages. 

4) Now to accept that this statement is from the Spirit of God, to confess my hardness in heart, asking God for a more open heart and mind. Bringing the responsibilities of my life to Him with thanksgiving and trusting Him with them believing that they will yield blessing in time. And ask for eyes to see blessing. 

5) This statement is not evil, but to continue to walk in holiness and righteous living and to abstain all evil. 

To conclude I'd like to revisit those first initial questions that I posed at the beginning of this post. 

1) What does that pathway look like? 

Answer: Looks like trusting in God with where I am, my responsibilities now, and choosing to be faithful with a thankful heart. (Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Thessalonians 5:18). 

2) How can you have assurance that you're going the right way? 

Answer: Following what scripture commands, abiding in Jesus, and seeking God for assurance.