Inspire: Taking Ownership

God calls us to higher standards. He calls us for our own good. He calls us because He wants to bless us.

How many times have you called your peers to higher standards?

I've been seeing a lot of change in my life since I started taking some ownership. I realize that can mean a lot of different things, but what I'm talking about is a paradigm shift in which your friends, your family, your finances, your life becomes yours. Maybe you feel that the people in your life are 'just there'. But no, it's not an accident. They are your friends and they are your family. Maybe you've already experienced such a shift in your life.

Unfortunately society has told us that 'possession' is a bad thing; or at least given it some negative connotations. The ownership I'm talking about isn't about manipulation or the act of being possessive. It's about taking responsibility in your life. It's about taking action.

If you saw your friend being hurt by another person, what would you do? Would you stand by idly? Would you confront that person? I was in a situation like that recently. I decided the right thing to do was to call that person to a higher standard. It's quite amazing what happened. That person responded to that call, and started to show a lot more respect. How important are your friends to you? Are you willing to fight for them?

There's a lot more risk involved in taking ownership in life. It means a lot more responsibility. It means a lot more effort. But ultimately, it means more fulfilling relationships and a more fulfilling life.

It seems like too many people feel they are entitled to everything in life, including respect. They don't know that you have to fight for what's important. They don't know that they are hurting a lot of people with their words and actions because they haven't taken ownership of them yet. They blame other people and external circumstances for their bad behavior.

But no, ownership means that you take responsibility regardless of how you're feeling. We don't need more yes-men in this world. We need more people that fight for what's important to them. We need to reflect God's love by calling others to higher standards.