On Target

I don't usually know what I'm going to say when I sit down to write. It is actually a rare occasion when I have the devotion "pre-written" if you will, with strong ideas and phrases in my head just waiting for my fingertips to convert them to sentences. They all, of course, begin with an idea of some type. Today's devotion actually was floating in my head as a tribute to the rain (gee, I wonder why?). I sat down and opened up to write, skimming emails along the way. I received one from Mac Anderson (Simple Truths) in which he was offering a discounted price on a work written by Robin Crow, owner of Dark Horse Recording. A phrase in the book's summation hit me like a shot, producing one of those "duh!" moments. (written 21 Feb 08)

The book Mac Anderson is offering, Rock Solid Leadership, is written by Robin Crow. The section shared from the book is titled "Responsibility," and offers some rather eye-opening thoughts. What struck me so vividly that I totally changed my topic for today? A 14-word sentence (yes, I counted) that began the final summation paragraph.

Remember, failure to hit the bull's eye is never the fault of the target.

Think about that. It is not the target's fault if you miss, it's yours. It is not my teacher's fault if I do not pass my test, it is mine. It is not my coworker's fault if I fail to complete a task, it is mine. If I fail to live as Jesus would have me do, it is not Jesus' fault, it is mine.

Just as Jesus accepted responsibility for our sins by stretching His arms out to die on the cross, we must accept responsibility for our own walk with the Lord. He gives us the tools, all the support we could possibly dream of having, and a reward (eternal life with Him)! If we fail to honor the responsibility, fail to live as His children, it is OUR fault. Whether you are the leader of the 2-year old nursery, the carpool parent, the young (or not-so-young) college student, or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company ... the responsibility for your actions is simply that: your own.

Jesus, please help me to stay on target and focus on the life that you would have me lead. Remind me of the boundless love and generosity that you have bestowed, and continue to bestow, upon me. Help me not to fail. and allow me the ability to help others.

"How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." ~Matthew 7:4-5 NIV