When my son Mickel was about 3yrs old, my wife bought him a t-shirt with the writing, “whatever it is; I didn’t do it!” And you can be sure, he did the “didn’t-do-it” part amazingly well. You didn’t need to ask, it couldn’t be him! No need for alibi! No efforts at plausible deniability! His hand may have been seen in it, but maybe something was working in him, in the words of Apostle Paul, “both to will & to do” of its own pleasure!
Hmmm!
We did something; But we didn’t do it! There is this US church legend about a legal battle between a bar owner & a local Baptist church. The story goes that as Drummonds Bar began construction to expand their business, the Mt Vernon Baptist Church began a campaign to stop the expansion. They wrote the county & tried to mobilize their shared neighborhood against the bar, but it didn’t work. The bar got the permits & construction progressed. Then, the church resorted to fasting & prayers!
Well, the week of the official opening of the bar, lightening struck the building & burned it to the ground. Wow! The pastor & members of the church went to town, testifying to the power of prayer to stop the ‘work of the devil’. That was until the bar owner sued them to court, claiming that they were responsible, either directly or indirectly for the destruction of his business. And, you guessed it, the church filed its response in court, denying all responsibility for triggering the lightening & the fire!
It is said that at the hearing, after listening to the church present its defense, the judge commented; “It appears that we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that does not!” The church essentially said; “whatever this is, we didn’t do it!”
And the lesson is simple, there are times when taking responsibility can result in a liability! That’s when, whatever it is, you say, “I didn’t do it”!
Naaah! Not me!
- don’t take the responsibility of being a self made man!
- don’t take the responsibility of the marriage matchmaker!
- don’t take the responsibility of the ever perfect spouse!
- don’t take the responsibility of being anyone’s godfather!
- don’t take the responsibility of the ‘never wrong’ boss!
- don’t take the responsibility of planning a ‘certain‘ future!
- don’t take the responsibility of ‘building’ God’s church!
Men who refuse to take the responsibilities that isn’t theirs avoid the liabilities that should have been theirs! They are thankful for every testimony of success & yet are able to keep their peace in times of stress knowing that God has always been the one in charge! They are bold about doing their best, & also loud about the place of favour in their lifting! They are happy to be in the limelight, but careful to remind themself & others that all the glory for every lifting really belongs to God!
And Apostle Paul put it very well;
“What is so special about you? What do you have that you were not given? And if it was given to you, how can you brag?” – 1 Cor 4:7 (CEV).
Nothing Sir Apostle! I am me & there’s nothing special except for the amazing grace of God! I have seen many great blessings & have been know to ‘do’ many great things, but believe me Dear Apostle, “whatever it is, I didn’t do it!”
I pray for you today, that everyone who encounters you this week, will encounter the great God at work in you, for you & through you! Men will see you as the evidence of the amazing goodness of God in Jesus Christ name!
Much Love
George Izunwa
Lead Pastor
