Title: Take responsibility for it

Series: Youth for Jesus

Number: Vol. 8, No. 42

“”Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”” (Jonah 1:12NIV

)A number of years ago, while I was working with a bank, an app was developed and deployed by the IT department of the bank to aid transferring of funds into multiple accounts at the same time. And was that not a good and progressive thing? It was.However, that app malfunctioned when one of my colleagues attempted to use it in transferring the salaries of some government workers into their accounts. Instead of crediting the designated bank accounts, it credited accounts of workers of another government agency in another state. And sadly, some of those whose accounts were wrongly credited in this manner were not gracious enough to report the error in time.

On the contrary, they went ahead and began to spend the money.Well, when it was eventually discovered that a big error had been committed, guess who was asked to take responsibility for it? My colleague that used the app! That, of course, got me so upset that I had to take up the matter with some of our bosses at the time. And in the heat of the dealing with it, I remember saying these words to one of them: “Any of us can make mistakes, for we are all humans. So, a system we create can also make mistakes. But if anyone created a system that failed, he should at least be gracious and honest enough to take responsibility for it, instead of seeking to make others pay for his mess.” What is my point? It is that mistakes and accidents happen in life for various reasons. Even the word of God confirms that (Deut 19:4-5).

But mistakes and accidents don’t happen by themselves. People make them happen. And where you are responsible for a mistake, an error or an accident that has occurred, you should not waste time to take responsibility for it. Otherwise, you may allow innocent people to suffer for you. How, then, will you face God in such a situation?As we see in our opening text, Jonah stepped up to take responsibility for the mishap that those he was travelling with at the time were experiencing on the sea. Why? It was because the reason trouble came upon them was that he was running away from doing the will of God. So, if their trouble would go away, he must be thrown into the sea, as he pointed out to them. And would that not mean death for him? It would. But unless that was done, the people with him would lose more than their cargo; they would lose their lives as well.

Now, as the account further shows us, those with him did not want to do what he told them at all. Why? They did not want to become murders while trying to save themselves. But soon enough, they realised that God was the one judging Jonah indeed. Therefore, unless they threw him overboard, they would all perish. So, they did the needful and saved their lives. And by doing the needful, they gave room for Jonah himself to repent and receive God’s mercy for salvation and restoration. (Cf. Jonah 1&2)

What is that showing us? It is that while it may be hard for us to take responsibility for our errors or mistakes, doing so, especially with a heart of humility, can open God’s door of mercy and favour to us. So, instead, of suffering for our errors, we can be shown mercy for forgiveness, salvation and restoration. But if, instead of taking responsibility for our blunders, we allow others to suffer for them, whether out of fear or sheer wickedness, God will not fail to judge us at the right time. And who knows how He will judge?

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