Paddle Your Own Canoe

“I’ve traveled about a bit in my time

 I have a question for you…

Who is responsible for you? (I am supposing that if you are reading this you are an adult or a mature teen.)

That may seem like a bit of a silly question but some of the answers may surprise you.

Who is responsible for your anger?  Is it the person who cut you off on the highway?
Who is responsible for the extra change in your pocket?  Is it the clerk who made the mistake at the grocery store?
Who/what is responsible for your lack of Bible/devotion time?
Who is responsible for your weight?
Who is responsible for your mood?
Who is responsible for your joy?
Who is responsible for your ability to do your job (at home, (home)school, or in the workplace)?
Who is responsible for how much time you have in a day to do what you want to do?

All of these questions are, what we call in logic classes, loaded.  There is ALWAYS someone or something to blame for the way things happen in our lives.

Recently, I was faced with a situation that was not one of those feel good kind of things.  I had to react to the situation.  In fact, I would suggest that whenever we are in a situation that is not of our liking, we HAVE to react.

Have you ever said, “So and so makes me so angry!”  or “Such and such happened, so I just had to do it!”?

How do they make you?  Why did you have to?

I have been reminded this week that regardless of what is going on around me, how I respond to a situation has nothing to do with anyone or anything except me.

I am a responder type person.  Often my first impulse is to respond verbally.  Ironic (tongue in cheek) that my devotions this week all landed in verses that spoke of the wisdom, discernment and blessings that come from guarding the tongue.  (For a good dose of instruction on the tongue, read Proverbs and James.)

How we respond to a situation or another person has a lot to do with how others are going to view us.  Our reputations/testimonies are based on our behaviour.

If we allow others to dictate how we behave or react (if we let them paddle our canoe) we are saying that we have no control in our lives.  But Scripture says that,

I can do all things through Christ ^{wanderingways says:}