Discerning Concerns and Responsibilities

What most often consumes space in your mind? What do you find yourself most concerned about in life?

Do you have a hard time discerning your responsibilities against those that you know God will take care of for you in His good and perfect plan? Do you struggle with the day to day grind of life responsibilities you have been given? If you answered yes, you can be assured by God in His Word that He has answers and help for you and you do not walk alone. 

Our Responsibilities 

As believers, we all have God given roles, tasks, responsibilities, and commands to follow. In Matthew 22:36-37 Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment for His children is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” We are also called to “do all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Jesus calls all of His children to pursue and worship Him by “training ourselves for godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7-8). We do this by growing in the spiritual disciplines He has given us: prayer, Bible study, fasting, and Scripture memorization, to name a few. 

The roles God has given us in life determine the daily responsibilities and tasks He has entrusted us with.

He has called some of us to motherhood, some to singleness, some to certain careers and countless other roles He gives. Within those roles are the certain tasks and duties we have to fulfill those responsibilities. Responsibilities are defined as things we must do and that we are in control of whether they are accomplished or not. Our main responsibility and calling that affects all other responsibilities is to simply obey God–to abide in His Word and seek His wisdom and discernment in decision making and daily living. 

Our Concerns 

Our concerns in life can be simply defined as things we care deeply about, yet they are ultimately out of our control. But God in His kindness promises that we can rejoice in the fact that we have no control of the outcome because they are in His control (Hebrews 2:8).

Our concerns in life are not the same as our responsibilities; our concerns must be surrendered to God in trust that He is good and faithful.

We must remember that His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. His will and good plans are actually far greater than what we could hope for or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). With our concerns, we must trust God to work and to be working perfectly for His glory and our good, 

Circles of Concern and Circles of Responsibility 

When we seek to have control over our concerns (things that are outside of our control), we will begin to experience anxiety, frustration, or disappointment. This is exactly why Paul David Tripp has created this helpful tool for us to navigate through questions and challenges we face in life. Below you will see two circles, with the biggest circle labeled “our concerns” and the smaller circle labeled “our responsibilities.” What are the things in your life that are genuine God-given responsibilities that you must complete? Put those in the small circle. What are the things that you have great care and concern for but they are ultimately out of your control? Put those in the bigger circle.

  From Paul David Tripp Instruments in The Redeemer’s Hands

After examining the two lists for each circle, what are concerns that you have been trying to control versus entrusting them to the Lord? What are your God-given responsibilities that you need to grow in your pursuit of being faithful?

What could be some next steps for you entrusting your concerns to the Lord while being faithful to the responsibilities that He has called you to today?

The hope is that this tool helps you gain perspective: God is in control of all things, and our duty is to be obedient to Him and seek to serve those around us. We begin to feel anxious and stressed when we try to control the things in life that we are never meant to have control over. When you see the smaller circle of things you are responsible for and the bigger circle of concerns that God has perfect control over, I hope you begin to feel at peace knowing that we serve a mighty God. We serve a mighty God who knows us perfectly and knows that we cannot carry the burdens we try to carry. God calls us to come to Him and trust Him to carry the heaviness for us (Matthew 11:28) while we continue in faithfulness with the responsibilities He has given us.

Helpful Resources

Article: Circles of Responsibility / Circles of Sovereignty by Kevin Carson

Article: The Circle of Responsibility Diagram by Caroline Newheiser

Tool Example: Circles of Responsibility

Sydney Bond has been counseling for two years. She delights in seeing God use His Word to bring healing to brokenness. She holds a B.S. degree in Special Education from Union University and an MDiv in Biblical Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Sydney is a certified member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.