Archimedes and Grace

In the 3rd Century B.C., a Greek mathematician put to paper a formula to explain why ships float and rocks sink. Using the concepts of buoyancy and gravity, Archimedes provided a mathematical calculation to explain a concept that had been in existence since the beginning of time. Archimedes didn't invent the principle, he merely identified it. And while we don't give Archimedes Principle much though, we leverage it millions of times every day as we set sail in boats from canoes to battleships.

Now this is important. Andy Stanley says it this way: "...I have never met anyone who thinks that God is in heaven indiscriminately deciding what sinks and what floats. I’ve never met anyone who has prayed, “God, we have created this ship, and we ask that you help it float.” We don’t think that way, because we understand the principle. If we adhere to the principle, what we make will float every single time. God created a principle, and we leverage it all the time. You can leverage it and benefit from it, or you can ignore it and pay a price."

This week, we are going to study a Biblical principle, that like Archimedes principle, can easily slide into the peripheral of our thoughts, yet it works every single day of our lives. And the same thing is true of this principle. It works every time. It is neither good nor bad...it just is. It is the reason when someone acts irresponsibility it catches up with them. It is also the reason when someone acts responsibly, they eventually experience a harvest.

The principle? Let me allow the Apostle Paul to tell you: "A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7). Like Archimedes’s principle, you can leverage this principle for good things, or you can ignore it and pay the consequences. It's not a good or a bad principle, it just is...every single time. "God is not against you: He’s not sitting up in heaven always deciding to punish you or bless you. Instead, God has given us this awesome principle that we can leverage to our advantage." It really is a part of his grace!

Irresponsibility and Blame

As we saw in Monday's post, when we act irresponsible, someone must shoulder the burden for our irresponsibility. Yesterday, I reflected on the story of the original sin of Adam and Eve, and noted that if it appears that we are the one who will shoulder that responsibility, our tendency is to try to shift the blame to someone else or even to our circumstances.

And when we attempt to shift blame, it always creates conflict. Think what must have been going through Eve's mind as she her Adam, when confronted by God, shifting the blame to her. Don't you know she was furious (and probably a little frightened as well). Why do we do that? It's not even an effective tool is it? Have you ever known someone who always shifted the blame to others? Do you want to be like that person? Would you hire him at your business?

But not only does blame create conflict with others, it always creates conflict within ourselves. Why? Because we know the truth, don't we? We may fool everyone else, but we know exactly where the problem lies, don't we? We were created to be responsible, and when act irresponsible and expect someone is to be responsible for our irresponsibility, we can never fulfill our God-designed potential.

The First Story of Irresponsibilty

Shirking responsibility is not a new phenomenon for sure. It can be traced all the way back to the garden of Eden. When you read the Genesis account of creation and the fall, there are two interesting truths that stand out.

First of all, even before the church rules (The Ten Commandments), and before sin infected the human race, God gave humans responsibility. When you read Genesis 1:27-29, it is easy to see that humans were give responsibility over the entire earth. In fact, there was only one rule...and a lot of responsibility.  Isn't it true, that we are the happiest when we have a responsibility and we do it well? We all feel better when we take responsibility for the things for which we are responsible. That is not an accident, we were designed that way!

You may meet people who are experts at placing blame and excusing their irresponsibility, but they never have a smile on their face. You won't meet a happy, irresponsible person.

Secondly, Genesis 3:8-13 recounts the story of the original sin. The interesting thing about the story is how quickly Adam and Eve shifted the blame for their irresponsibility. Adam said in Genesis 3:12: “The man replied, ‘It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’” He blames Eve at first, then he even blames God! "The woman that YOU gave me." When Even is confronted by God, she replies in verse 13: “The serpent deceived me....” 

Here's the truth I want to leave you with today. In a culture where every one takes responsibility for what is entrusted to them, there doesn’t need to be a lot of rules. But when there is only one rule, if everyone doesn't take responsibility, the one rule will be broken. 

The Nature of Irresponsibility

Andy Stanley says there are three identifiable characteristics of irresponsibility: 1) irresponsibility is contagious; 2) irresponsibility is contagious because it is rewarded; and, 3) when someone or a group act irresponsible, someone has to come along and shoulder the burden of that irresponsibility.

Let's break them down for a moment. We can certainly observe that irresponsibility is contagious. There is no point in my working hard, paying my own way, cleaning up my own messes, when other people have found a way to succeed being irresponsible. Let's be honest, it's easier to be irresponsible. And if can profit from being irresponsible, why not?

Secondly, irresponsibility is contagious because it is rewarded. I mean, that's just the way the world works...what gets rewarded gets repeated. So if we reward irresponsibility, it will be repeated. If I continue to remove the consequences of poor choices for someone who acts irresponsible, they will continue to act irresponsible.

Finally, when someone or a group of people act irresponsible, someone has to come along and shoulder the burden of that irresponsibility. Irresponsibility impacts everyone that is connected to the irresponsible person. Remember when Jonah decided to disobey God and headed toward Tarshish instead of Ninevah? He got on a boat and a great storm arose and it appeared that everyone on the boat was going to die. The merchants-sailors on that boat had not been irresponsible, but yet they through the cargo (how they made a living) overboard to try to save their lives. They not only lost the wages they would have made from the trip, but they had to reimburse the people who had sent the cargo with them. I would say Jonah irresponsibility impacted their lives, wouldn't you?

As Christians, we should be incredible examples of responsibility. We know the inter-connectedness we share with everyone. And ultimately, we know we are accountable...to one another, but most importantly, to our Heavenly Father.

The Blame Game

We all do it every once in a while. Something doesn't happen the way we had hoped it would, a dream isn't fulfilled, or we experience a difficulty in a relationship or a circumstance. Our first tendency is...place the blame on someone or something. It can't have been our fault. We couldn't be...responsible!

Responsibility is not a difficult term to understand. Neither is irresponsibility. Because we can see both of those terms in other people's lives very easily. But it is very difficult to see it in the mirror.

An amazing transformation has occurred in American culture over the past 50 years. Andy Stanley puts it this way in his sermon entitled Taking Responsibility For Your Life: "...there is a new twist on civil rights that goes something like this: The Constitution has given me certain rights; therefore, I have the right to be irresponsible, and you don’t have the right to hold me accountable. I have the right to do whatever I want to do and say whatever I want to say and act any way I want to act. You don’t have the right to hold me responsible. At the same time, you are responsible to clean up the mess that I create through my irresponsibility. You are responsible to foot the bill that I have created through my irresponsibility. As an American citizen, my civil rights give me the opportunity to act irresponsibly, but you don’t have the right or the responsibility to hold me accountable."

The problem with irresponsibility is, when I act irresponsible, someone has to pay the price. Parents understand this. When a child doesn't take responsibility to keep their room clean, the parent pays the price...they have to clean it.

The same principle is true in every arena of life. This week we are going to be exploring the temptation to blame others for our irresponsibility and the importance of taking responsibility for our own lives, regardless of how others act or what circumstances may come our way.