How Do We Handle Our Responsibility?

“The Lord God is my strength (my source of courage, my invincible army); He has made my feet (steady and sure) like hinds’ feet and makes me walk (forward with spiritual confidence) on my high places (of challenge and responsibility).”

— Habakkuk 3:19 AMP

My son was 3 years old, my daughter was 8 months old, and I had quit my 10 year career to stay home and raise my children. I was so excited to step into this role as a stay at home mom and wife. I planned to have play dates, take my kids to fun group camps, find a community of other stay at home moms and enjoy this season of my life. I thought that was the responsibility I had at that time.

I had no idea what our family was about to be hit with as I sat with my husband in his doctor’s office and heard the words cancer echo off those sterile walls. These are moments that will never be erased from my mind. We were in complete shock. How does a man that looks so healthy on the outside have something growing inside his body that is slowly killing him. It was devastating to think about. My husband’s doctor said it would be a long, hard year of chemo and radiation but after that Doug should be healed of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

As a planner and perfectionist, my mind had to quickly shift gears, and I don’t love the idea of change. All the plans of fun ideas I had with my children came to a sudden halt. I now had to shift my responsibility over to putting my husband first. If you have never had to be a caretaker of an adult before, it is completely different from taking care of children. For some reason it was scary for me to think about taking care of a sick husband. I wanted to be the perfect caretaker for him. I wanted to be everything he needed me to be. I wanted him to see me as his friend, nurse, lover, chef, driver, and mother of his children. I wanted him to be comfortable with relying on me to take care of our family when he was not able to. He was always the man of the house, the one we always relied on. This was a responsibility that I didn’t know if I was prepared to take on.

On my husband’s first day of chemo, I sat in the waiting room and I came across Habakkuk 3:19 in the Amplified version. When I read that God was my source of courage, He will make my feet sure and steady, and He will make me to walk with spiritual confidence through the things that are my responsibility, I immediately knew that God was speaking to me through His Word. God was reminding me of His promises that I was not alone. He was carrying me through these many roles that I was about to take on. He was putting on the hat of friend, nurse, lover, chef, driver, and mother; all I needed to do was rely on Him fully.

Have you experienced times in your life where you had to take on unexpected responsibilities? Has life thrown something at your feet that you did not sign up for? When we feel flustered with fear and anxiety about unforeseen circumstances we need to remember to look to the One who provides our every need. When you don’t think you can fulfill the task that has been laid before you and your plans are shattered, God will provide a way for you to peel yourself off the floor and and put one foot in front of the other. God will always equip us to tackle our responsibilities. We may be scared of the unknown that creeps in the dark, but God is never surprised with what is ahead. He already has a plan for you.

Just put one foot in front of the other and walk with boldness in Jesus Christ.

Digging Deeper:

Write down at least 3 characteristics of God that give you comfort:

What responsibility do you have right now that brings anxiety and doubt?

Do you have faith that the characteristics that God possesses can intercede for you to handle your responsibilities?

What encourages you the most when you read Habakkuk 3:19?