“If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”
- Ethics of the Fathers

We all reach a point in our lives when we realize that if we don’t take responsibility for ourselves, no one will. We also learn to be responsible to our families and friends, and to those in society who are less fortunate. How far should these responsibilities go and how should we prioritize them? Why do we feel the need to be responsible in the first place?

The answers lie in the fact that we were created for a divine reason – to actively pursue a virtuous life and perfect this imperfect world. Responsibility is a basic human need, just like food or oxygen; we cannot fulfill or justify our existence without it.

Responsibility is not something that we should accept reluctantly out of guilt or duty; it is a necessary and healthy component in our lives.

Our first responsibility is to ourselves, for we can hardly hope to civilize the world at large if our own life is out of sync. We are all responsible for our own conduct and cannot blame anyone else for our decisions or actions. We cannot blame our teachers or our parents, our employers or our leaders. Nor can we blame God for making life so difficult…He wouldn’t have placed it in our path without also providing us with the abilities to overcome any obstacle. “If He brings you to it…He’ll get you through it!”

This independence is the greatest manifestation of human dignity. You, and you alone, are responsible for what you make out of your life. Of course, certain people will always need to be cared for – children, obviously, and adults who are unhealthy or incapacitated. We must also recognize that every single person, from a special needs child to a handicapped adult, has deep inner resources that must be cultivated to the fullest. So we are responsible for the welfare of others and for society as a whole.

This is Rex Barker C.S. (Choosing to Serve) reminded that we have all been given a choice – to see life as it truly is, with each human being connected to the next, all linked in one large cosmic destiny, or to be consumed with self-interest. It is not the result that counts; it is our effort, and the sincerity behind the effort, that fulfills our innate need to be responsible. And ultimately… every effort does bear fruit.  Rex Barker

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