No “False Responsibility” Please!

Written by Kim and Nina Heck

Have you ever experienced the power of God? I mean…really witnessed Him move in a mighty way? Have you ever felt His presence so strongly that it caused you to cry or drop to your knees in awesome reverence of Him? I have…and I will never forget those moments in my life when God made himself so real to me.

I couldn’t help but think about those sacred moments as I read the account told in the book of Matthew, chapter 28, about the reaction several people had when God’s power showed up in a mighty way.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep. So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.” (NIV)

They were all witness to the same awesome power of God, but each group had a different response. The women were afraid, but it says they were also filled with joy and ran to tell the disciples as they were instructed to do.

The guards were also afraid, but even though they saw and experienced the same thing the women did, they went along with a plan to lie and not tell what they had seen because of material gain. It is so hard for me to believe that anyone can experience the power of God and still want to live their life in their own power and strength, but it happens all the time. People see God move in their life. They see Him perform miracles. They see other people transformed. Yet…they still turn away from Him to live their lives for themselves. This makes me think of the prophecy given by Isaiah and quoted again in Acts chapter 28.

Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. (NIV)

Some people will just not ever get it, and sadly some people just simply have no desire to know the truth. They really don’t see the need to change or have a personal relationship with God. If we allow it to, the fact that people we care about are not interested in God can be very depressing. We must look at this reality from a healthy perspective and not get discouraged when people we try to influence don’t seem to really want to hear about God or see Him as He really is. Don’t allow yourself to take on any “false responsibility” for other people’s relationship with God. We do have responsibility, but all the responsibility does not fall on our shoulders. God also claims His responsibility. In Ezekiel 36: 26-27, God promises…

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(NIV)

God clearly shows us what He considers to be His responsibility. Don’t forget each person carries responsibility for themselves as well. Your responsibility is simply to say what God tells you to say, do what God tells you to do, go where God tells you to go and pray…no more…no less!

God, Give me the strength and the wisdom to listen to your voice and only do the things you instruct me to do. Amen.