RIGHTS and Responsibilities

That’s my RIGHT!  Well, what about your responsibility?  In this age of global change, difficulty and evaluation of what has purpose and meaning, much emphasis is put upon RIGHTS.  What is it that you should be allowed to have and to do?  What are your RIGHTS?  In any country where freedom is emphasized, so are RIGHTS.  In any country where a standard of law is respected, RIGHTS can be enforced.  Yet, is there not a danger that even in a free country, such as the GREAT United States of America, RIGHTS may be lost?

Rights are certainly emphasized in America!  One thing I have particularly noticed from my involuntary commitments and forced involvement in legal matters is the emphasis on RIGHTS.  I have learned even through recent experience that despite whatever stated rights I was said to have, that in the end, those in authority did what they wanted to do or felt should be done.  In fact, it has become clear to me that many authorities I have encountered through my ongoing personal tragedy are not even living up to the standards and responsibilities they have set for themselves.

A person’s rights are only as good as the responsibility of the authority overseeing the enforcement of those rights.  To put it another way, your rights will be lost if you and the authorities over you fail to live up to the responsibilities.  So, what does America need to learn?  What does Virginia Tech need to learn?  What do you, dear reader, need to learn?  You must live up to the rules—to the standard—of whatever is in place in your life!  The extent to which you fail to live up to your responsibilities is the extent to which you will begin to lose your rights.

For me, as for every true believer in GOD and His plan for salvation in Jesus Christ, the lesson is clear.  We have a standard.  We have a guide book.  We have knowledge of what we are responsible to keep.  The Bible gives us the tangible, objective standard of how to live.  In fact, we have all we need to know for living life in a productive and godly way (2 Peter 1:3).  The Word of GOD is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).

Friend, your Creator has created and made you and HE has certain expectations for you.  The founders of this great country of the United States of America understood that we are “endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights” (This is part of what I am discussing in Lesson #4 of my “Top Ten Lessons” [linked above]:  “Fortify Foundations” Psalm 11:3).  RIGHTS come with responsibilities.

Please learn to de-emphasize your RIGHTS and prioritize living up to your responsibilities!  This is the only way to find meaning in life, maintain liberty and find true happiness.  This is the way to avoid many tragedies and ensure that you will find the strength to prevail through any tragedy or difficulty you may face.