Burdens or Responsibilities: Noblesse Oblige
I remember seeing a motto written by some Japanese samurai: “Life is as heavy as a mountain. Death is as light as a feather.” I believe it was originally found in the Hagakure, a text on Samurai warrior ethics. And it seems to have been well quoted by many in the Japanese Imperial army from their beginning. It stuck with me for some reason. Life is heavy sometimes.
As I get older it starts to make more sense. Life is supposed to be heavy. You have more resources, you gain more responsibilities for others in your business and your family. Hopefully you are wiser too and make decisions. You get more challenges, and more complicated ones at that. God does not give you what you cannot handle.
In my younger years, I used to consider this a burden. But I was stupid and weak. AND wrong.
These are not burdens but responsibilities. You only become a man when you have true responsibilities. I’d take this even further. As Geoffrey de Charny’s Chivalric code states: “He who does more is of greater worth.” It shows you are growing as a human.
And it’s not one way, with more resources, you have more responsibilities to your family, your business, your community. Your country. As it was famously said in Spiderman: “with great power comes great responsibility.” Noblesse Oblige. We need to bring this back.
Grok defines it as: “a French phrase meaning "nobility obliges." It refers to the concept that those with privilege, wealth, or high social status have a moral duty to act honorably and generously toward others, particularly those less fortunate. The idea suggests that nobility or power comes with a responsibility to use it for the greater good, through acts of charity, leadership, or setting a virtuous example.”
You should want to have a busy life full of hard decisions and responsibilities. It means you are growing. It means you are making progress. It means you have an impact in this world. It means you are truly living. So accept these so-called burdens. Pray for them. Welcome them wholeheartedly. If you do this, your life won’t ever be the same again. You will finally be meeting your high potential and living the life you should actually be living.