Individual Responsibility

RESPONSIBILITY calls for ACCOUNTABILITY. We must understand that without responsibility there is no accountability, and without accountability there can be no responsibility. These two concepts are inseparably tied together. One should not talk of responsibilities apart from accountability. There is no such thing!
Accountability suggests "a day of reckoning”. This is when one who has been entrusted with responsibilities must give an account to the authoritative source
(G-d). The scriptures call this THE JUDGMENT.
The New Testament is filled with this teaching. In the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30, Y’Shua taught the great lesson of stewardship. We are impressed with the fact that a man, before going into another country, called his servants together and distributed his goods. "And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one. It becomes evident from the reading that this man expected his servants to do something with the talents rendered to them. "Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and makes a RECKONING with them”, (v. 19). Remember the one with only one talent, he buried it – sat on it and did nothing of what the master had given him to be responsible for.
The L-rd was pleased with those who performed adequately, but was angry at the slothful servant who had failed in his responsibility. The L-rd cast out the unprofitable servant!
It is obvious from this parable that our L-rd is teaching responsibility according to ability, coupled with the idea of accountability. He held these servants responsible for what had been entrusted to them, individually, relative to their ability.
All that we have whether it is a house, yard, car, or pets and people in our lives we are held accountable to do our very best with what was given us. If not it can be all taken away like the man with only one talent.
There was a day of reckoning when the master returned and called his servants to him. He demanded an accounting from each servant as to what was accomplished while he was in another country. This parable is not difficult to understand, and most Bible students agree that we have a case of individual responsibility here.
In a similar parable, the Parable of the Pounds, Y’Shua taught the same principles. Read Luke 19:11-27. Here, we see servants charged with responsibility, which led to accountability, terminating in reckoning. Again, there is no "church" responsibility or accountability, only individual.
Let’s not forget He also told them to be a wise as serpents, while being harmless as doves. And He told story after story of being wise stewards and of being held accountable for what we do with the things we are given. Paul writes in 1Timothy 5:8 that he who does not take care of his own household is worse than an unbeliever, or an infidel!
Matt. 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
G-d and mammon.
Here is another responsibility, we are to use G-d’s money wisely, Matt. 6:19-21 says. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Has money become your idol, do you lack trusting the Father to provide?
Are you taking good care of what the Father has given you?
It is never too late to change the patterns you have fell into and become good stewards.Or come along side of another and help them make life choices.