Thanksgiving was two days ago. Many of us ate too much. But how many of us took responsibility for the pain that followed? “The food was too good.” “I just wanted one more piece of pumpkin pie.” “Grandma made me eat more dressing.”
We all have a hard time accepting the blame for our choices and subsequent failures. I played catcher in baseball when I was growing up. I am paying for it now with lower back problems. As an adult I didn’t go to the dentist for twelve years. My teeth bear witness to my neglect. I can trace back most of my current health problems to choices I made growing up and early adulthood. Do I accept the blame or do I curse my luck? Worse yet, do I pass the blame onto someone else?
When something bad happens to us, we tend to get angry at someone else. We blame the other driver for the accident. We blame the police for the ticket we received. We rage at the business for the shoddy product when we made our choice based solely on price. We find innumerable ways to deflect the blame off ourselves and onto others. While this may make us feel better in the short run, it doesn’t help us grow and mature into effective, growing, and godly people.
Proverbs 19:3 says, “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.” How often have you heard someone say, “Why would God do this?” Or simply say, “Why me?” Shouldn’t we instead ask how we contributed to the failure or problem. Perhaps God didn’t do what we blame him for. Perhaps we are to blame. Let’s be honest with ourselves and with God. It will help us become better people. Honesty and integrity before men and God benefit these relationships.
Reluctant Retiree 