Responsibilty IV

The Spheres of Responsibility

Calling, properly understood, is fundamentally connected to the social spheres we inhabit. We might even refer to all the spheres in which we live as “spheres of responsibility.” A father has his children, a teacher her students, etc. But there are also other spheres of responsibility related more directly to a person’s particular call.

However, it is important to continually heed Os Guiness’s counsel “Our calling is the sphere of our responsibility but we are not responsible to our calling. We are responsible to God, and our calling is where we exercise that responsibility.” Before we talk about spheres of responsibility it’s crucial to remember that we are only responsible for all the social spheres we operate in because we are first responsible to God’s call. Our responsibilities are a response to a call.

That said, take some time to think through all the different spheres of responsibility in your life (e.g. the work-place, family, ministry, other volunteer commitments).