By Deacon Dr. Napoleon Paxton
Recently I began to think back on my childhood with the intention of recollecting when I became a responsible man. This was not an easy task, since in my mind I have always been responsible. I can remember as a child I used to follow my grandfather around on his many adventures. He had a mini farm with a garden of corn, potatoes, peas, and beets. He had several fruits growing like apples, pears, grapes, and plums. He also raised pigs and chickens. All these things required much work to keep them in good condition and when there was work to be done my grandfather would call on me.
As I recollect these fond memories of my youth, I began to realize how wise my grandfather was. In my early years he would give me the job of chasing the baby chickens. He would tell me not to hurt them and not to chase them out of the chicken coop. He told me that if I was able to follow his directions I would be able to help him catch the baby pigs as they ran around. This was something I could not wait to do when I was about 6 or 7 years old. Unfortunately for me I kept chasing the baby chickens out of the chicken coop so it took me another year or two before I could chase and catch the baby pigs. After a while my jobs became a little more difficult like chopping wood and building sheds, and each time I looked at the job as a goal that I could not wait to obtain.
With each new job my grandfather counted on me to get the previous jobs done (minus chasing the chickens and baby pigs). He knew that based on my level of maturity I could be counted on to complete certain tasks and that I would be responsible for them.
As I continued to recall my thoughts to this present time, I began to realize that my level of responsibility is and has always been based on my level of maturity. As a grown man with a wife and children I should not have to be told to get a job or to do everything I can to provide for my family. I should be mature enough to know that is my responsibility. As a man that has been a part of ministry for nearly 5 years, I should not have to be told to pay my tithes or do my part to help the ministry grow. Even if I am unsure of what to do, my level of maturity should point me in the right direction to find out (the Pastor). My grandfather only had a 3rd grade education, but he knew enough to understand that once a maturity level had been reached, a new level of responsibility could be birthed in me.
To answer the question of when I became a responsible man, I have to say it’s ongoing. While I do believe I work hard every day to get better, there is always room to mature and with that growth in maturity there is room for me to become more responsible.