Many of us have picked up the contemporary Western allergy toward obligations, and as a result, we have experienced a loss in our understanding and acceptance of self-denial as a virtue, which we need functioning in many significant areas of our lives.
When we don’t resist bearing our loads, …
- Obligations reveal the past and the future to us.
- Obligations forge and harden character in us.
- Obligations form bonds of familiar affection in us.
When we stop kicking against the goads, …
- Obligations reveal our inescapable dependency.
- Obligations keep our sinful derangement in check.
- Obligations save our lives from our hearts and hands.
Accepting the responsibilities to which we’re obliged day after day is the arch nemesis of contemporary “authenticity” hype, and it’s a far more solid and objective guide to our identity and character than our feelings about ourselves—however important those may be and need attention.
Embrace the grace of your obligations in life.
