Thursday; June 6

Who is responsible for our personal safety?  The other day I noticed a news story about a person who was injured by a foul ball at a Major League Baseball game and several people pondered what should be done to keep fans safe.  I have been around a lot of baseball games and one thing that is very clear is the danger of balls (and even bats) flying into the stands.  The concept of assumed risk is something entrenched in our society, but we still struggle with personal responsibility.  When an onlooker is injured at an entertainment event where the risks are known, who is at fault?
Now, the reason I raise this question has little to do with fans at ballgames; rather, I use it as foundation for another question – who is responsible for our safety?  It is easy to rely upon our government to keep us safe, in fact we have become so dependent on it that we make unsafe choices and hope that someone will intervene when we get in trouble.  Yet, there is another area that should concern us – spiritual safety.  Are we overly dependent on our churches to keep us safe from evil and sin?  Do we blindly follow our religious leaders in hopes that they will keep us safe?  Do we merely depend upon what we learn in church to bring us into eternal glory?  There is an example of a group of people in the New Testament who took their spiritual safety seriously.  In commending the people of the city of Berea Luke reminds us, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11).
Folks, the truth of the matter is that we are responsible for the safety of our own lives.  Sure it is great when others are there to intervene for us, but in the end, it is up to “me” to keep “me” safe. 
Think About It!

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