By Deborah H. Rabern

Cicero believed moral commitment compels the action of self-sacrifice. He said, "We are not born for ourselves alone." He believed responsibility grows out of our humanity, our character, our place or position in life, and our self-image. These four characteristics drive our interpretation of duty toward our God, our family, our country, and our career.

Our Founding Fathers believed in self-sacrifice for a greater cause. Achieving freedom and establishing a new nation didn't happen simply because they had a good idea. It came at the risk of their lives, alienation from family members, and financial investment. No central government funded their journeys or their meetings. Neither life nor travel was easy in colonial times, but these patriots set aside personal convenience and comfort to plan a better future for posterity. Signing one's name to a document was treason in view of the king and royal governors. It took unprecedented courage to participate in a public stand against the ruling power to demand accountability.

Responsibility was a sacred duty to these men. Their honor was at stake. They committed themselves to do the right thing regardless of the consequences. Hard work was a way of life rather than an ethical ideal. These men didn't wait for someone else to do the job. They were diligent, examining the facts, and laying a solid foundation for democracy. They were steadfast in their resolve and unwavering in their perseverance; they didn't bow to opposition or intimidation.

Discouragement hounds most of us like Churchill's black dog of depression. We no sooner overcome one trial before another one or two assails us. Inertia saps our drive, if our vigilance slips. Whether we face illness, tragedy or just the sour grapes of daily annoyance, it takes determination to overcome our feelings and become a founder of the faith in our generation.

Self-sacrifice isn't big in American culture. The media majors on the message that we deserve a break and everything new, improved, bigger, faster. My immediate self-interest seems to govern my decisions. How much time will it take? Is it convenient? How far will I have to go? Will it hurt? Looking beyond my immediate circle and entertaining the idea of sacrificing my comfort for an acquaintance or stranger is an uneasy paradigm shift. I'd like to believe I'm better than that, and I'm just in the cultural flow. But the truth is, I have to struggle each day to live up to the better me that I'd like to be.

King Saul was a humble young lad before he was crowned. He was aware of his insignificance in the heritage of Israel. He began well by routing Israel's enemies. However, two short years of elevation to royalty transformed him into an arrogant man who believed he could offer partial compliance to God's instructions and get away with it. He made excuses when the Prophet Samuel confronted him, and rationalized like the politician he had become. His confession of sin was perfunctory. He got caught and confessed only to save face and sustain the outward appearance of divine approval.

Public image versus private life challenges our authenticity. Do I dare reveal the real flawed me, or do I don a mask to make a better impression? Our whole duty is to "fear God and keep his commandments." The basic responsibility sounds simple; but what does it mean? According to the teacher of Ecclesiastes, God will judge every secret act, whether good or bad, so our disguises never fool the One who counts.

The fear of God is a concept that few understand with any degree of accuracy. It means awe, reverence, honor, respect, astonishment, dread, and terror. Forces of nature provoke these reactions from us. The havoc of tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes unleashed offers merely the faintest glimmer of the horizon of God's power.

The directed potency of the All-Powerful who can stop a raging sea with a word, turn water into wine with a glance, and open blinded eyes with mud makes the wise breathless and afraid of what He will see when we stand face to face with Him.

Most people believe in a God who is either always benign or always vindictive. The truth is that our human minds can scarcely conceive the wholeness of God. When we get a glimpse of His character, then we formulate Him in that image. And if He's created in our image, instead of us being created in His image, then we are satisfied with just being the best we can be in our own efforts. Responsibility for personal godliness is out of the equation.

Our responsibilities to ourselves and to our Creator can't be abdicated regardless of tragedy or difficult circumstances. We can refuse to be defined by what Satan does in our circumstances. The Apostle Paul asks, "What happened to stop you from obeying the truth?" Faith means holding on to the truth of God's Word despite adversity. It means believing that no one can stand against us because God is on our side. It means trusting in God's goodness and love and being convinced that nothing will separate us from the One who has planned our future.

Jesus sacrificed Himself to grant us the right to have a secure future - an eternity in Heaven. We are responsible for being Jesus on the ground - His living arms, feet and voice - to offer the hope of a secure eternity to all of those we influence. We carry His light to those trapped in the darkness of despair. We have access to a supernatural infusion of grace that lifts the burdens of our effort and shifts them to the shoulders of Christ who enables us to do all things in His strength.

Deborah H. Rabern is a graduate of Georgia State University. She has spoken and taught in assorted venues including churches, parachurch organizations, federal prison and the public school system. In addition, she has been a spokesperson for the National Day of Prayer Committee (Cumberland, MD) and Tri-State Celebration (1999) during her employment with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.