As Christians, how much responsibility do we have to the brethren? Watch the following short video and then we'll discuss it.



Now, let's consider our level of responsibility to these people.

Imagine the man or woman shouting at you, saying, "Why won't you help me? I thought you were a brother? I am disappointed in you! What kind of a brother are you?"

Faced with someone playing the brother card like this, do you:

1. Instruct them to walk up or down the stairs?
2. Continue to stare at them with morbid curiosity?
3. Walk away, shaking your head?

Let's look at option #1 for a moment. If you try to explain that they should walk up or down the stairs, you would be wasting your time because they have already proven that they are incapable of comprehending the simplest of solutions. By engaging them, you invariably become sucked into their lair as they shout, "And just how am I supposed to do that?" No matter what answer you give, it wouldn't be enough and you would ultimately become an integral part of the pathetic scenario.

#2 does you no good, because if you are as mature as you think, the scene does not interest you. You have other places to go, other things to do.

#3, while unpopular with the "victims" stuck on the escalator, is the only option available if you wish to maintain your sanity and continue your work.

I was recently told that we have unending responsibility to our brothers and sisters. I do not believe this to be true. There are limits to our responsibility, especially when that brother or sister refuses to help themselves and would rather place the blame on your shoulders. It becomes even more pathetic when they play the brother card, when they bring your spirituality and loyalty into question simply because they refuse to take one simple step on their own.

Yes, I am a brother but I am not a babysitter. While there have been many times I have been tempted to take option #2, I usually leverage option #3 when faced with a situation like that in the video, and that has made a great difference in my walk and spiritual growth, where option #1 and #2 would make little or no difference at all in theirs.

By the way, don't play the brother card unless you are ready to hear what someone might have to say in reply. Trust me, you really do want me to walk away in a situation like this.

Yes, I recently experienced a situation as ridiculous as this. Yes, they played the brother card. Yes, I walked away without so much as an explanation. No, I don't think they got it, but I didn't make myself crazy over it and now they're headed your way. Whatcha gonna do?

• Topic: Good Steward

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