Every Tub Sits on its Own Bottom

Every tub sits on its own bottom; don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

I can remember the first time I heard this and what a weight was lifted off me when I realized that I was only responsible for my actions and no one else's. Period. End of story. There are so many times we carry around misplaced guilt. Guilt for what a family member has done, and so on when none of it is ultimately ours to bear. When we come to final judgement, God doesn't ask us about our neighbor's actions or our parents actions or even our child's actions, He is only concerned with our lives and actions. Goodness knows, I have enough sin and dirt in my own life such that to carry another's would be too much.

While it is comforting to know that I am not responsible for anyone else's sin or poor choice, it is equally discomforting to realize that my own sin and poor choices are all my responsibility. For instance, if someone cuts me off in traffic, that is their sin and not mine. However, if I feel a small sense of injustice has been done to me and I yell at the driver or attempt to respond in kind in some way or allow myself to become so bothered by the other driver that I become irritable with others, then that sin is solely mine. It is my choice how I react. Evil by one person does not excuse evil done by me.

But this knowledge causes me to examine areas of my life where my choices impact other's lives in both broad and narrow senses; not just in contemplating whether or not my cutting off another driver contributes to their own crankiness or a wreck, but also in thinking about how my spending habits impacts another's personal economy. This has particularly come home during the Coronavirus panic when so many have lost their source of income. I am responsible for how I treat others here and now and for how my choices impact the lives of others. 

Every tub sits on its own bottom. I bear the responsibility of my choices and actions. Every choice I make needs to be based on God's perfect law and not my sinful heart.