One of the primary principles I share with people is that we need to take responsibility for our own lives. As Andy Andrews puts it in The Traveler’s Gift, “the buck stops here.” I’ve also quoted other people explaining that where we are in life is the result of the choices we have made in the past. This is actually a Biblical principle.

Last weekend I watched the video series, Taking Responsibility for Your Life, by Andy Stanley. He taught from Galatians 6:3-9. Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Andy Stanley pointed out that the principle works both ways. Yes, we will reap what we sow from our past, whether good or bad, but we can also make sure we live responsibly today, and tomorrow, and the next day, so that our future will be better. He goes as far as to say that we cannot reach our full potential if we are not living responsibly.

What does living responsibly mean? You may think that you pay your bills and mow your lawn and work for a living, so you are living responsibly. But what about those small day-to-day things? Could there be something small in your life that is keeping you from living up to your full potential?

I recommend that we regularly examine our actions to make sure we live each moment responsibly. That may feel like a lot of pressure, but as Andy Andrews puts it, “The bad news is the past was in your hands; but the good news is that the future, my friend, is also in your hands.”

Live responsibly today so you can ultimately live your life to the fullest.