1. Parent With Responsibility
Father and mother are roles with high responsibility, especially towards children. It is therefore significant that Jesus introduced God as our heavenly Father. 2 Corinthians 6:18 says “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty”.
1.1 God in Fatherly and Motherly Terms
To express God’s image in us, He made us male and female: “In the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”. God described Himself in both fatherly and motherly terms. Isaiah 49:15 says: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”.
1.2 Made Us a Little Lower Than God
Again, Psalm 8: 4-5 says: “What is man that You think of him…? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!” (NASB)
God has bestowed us with such inherent/intrinsic dignity, value, worth (independent of all external life circumstances). Clinical psychologists tell us that mental/emotional strength is all about our internal assurance of dignity, value, purpose, responsibility, and meaning.
2. With Great Privilege Comes Great Responsibility
2.1 No Sacred-Secular Divide
Therefore our roles as sons and daughters of God are also that of responsibility and purpose. Right off, at the time of creation, God implies that the very purpose of creating us in His image is for such delegation/responsibility/partnership. Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule…” and commanded in Genesis 1:28: “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea…”.
2.2 Passion and Genuineness in All Spheres of Life
Jesus talked about the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36-40: “Love God… Love neighbor”. He not only answered the greatest commandment but also revealed how we should go about fulfilling it (ie, by love for others). The passion, genuineness, competence, and honesty that we bring to our workplace and in all relationships should reflect that we are assuming these God-given responsibilities as sons and daughters of God.
2.3 Faithful in Small Things
We need not wait for any titles and leadership positions. We can be faithful in small things. As Matthew 25:23 says: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things…”
2.4 God Will Not Forget – Neither Should We
God will not forget us, but as children of God, we should not forget our God-given responsibilities either.