Five Choices That Lead to True FreedomSample

The Choice to Take Ownership

As you journey towards life change, you must take ownership of your life, which means taking responsibility for where you are today. All of your choices have led you to this moment. And, if you are not satisfied with where you are—then you have to take the responsibility for the actions that led you here.

However, we live in a world that avoids responsibility. We see others become the victim and blame people or circumstances for their actions. When we fall into this mentality, it changes nothing, and though we may think that we win, we actually lose. Maturity is learning from our mistakes so that we don’t continue making them again and moving forward. 

Here are a few examples of the victim mentality:    

• When we are always talking about ourselves in a negative way    
• When we say things like “I can never do anything right” or “I always mess things up.”     
• When we lack self-confidence like “I’m not good enough”, “I’m not smart enough”, or I don’t think that I can change.

Here is how we blame others for our actions:    

• “The reason that I drink is that my dad always drank.”     
• “The reason that I look at porn is that the guys at work were all looking.” 

Can you relate the victim mentality or blaming others, and not taking responsibility?  In the Bible, there is an example of this with Saul, the first king over Israel. He was a tall, handsome and strong man, but his integrity was weak. He was told to wait until the prophet Samuel met him before doing anything, but he didn’t.

Read 1 Samuel 13:11-12

but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?”

Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”

Saul replied to Samuel with a series of excuses that justified his poor choice of making the burnt offering before Samuel arrived. Excuses are the opposite of taking responsibility and are meant to cover-up our mistakes and failures. All of us have used them, some more than others. But we can make the choice today to take responsibility, stop making excuses and speak the truth about our actions and behavior. This is making the choice to take ownership for your life from this day forward.  

Reflections:   

1. In what areas have you consistently made excuses or blamed others for your actions?    
2. What would it look like to take ownership of your life and your actions? What would change in your life?    
3. Who can you share the truth of your life with, and feel supported and loved?