Aug
10
Tag Archives: Actions
Feb
15
The Blame Game
I read a quote by Perry Noble the other day that caused me to stop and spend some time reflecting on it. The quote was, “The person who always has to blame is always lame.” This got me to thinking; am I a person who spends a lot of my energy and time blaming others for my actions, my mistakes, my shortcomings, etc.?
Many of us today seem somewhat incapable of taking the blame for our mistakes and failures in life. Instead we want to look at the people around us and pass it off on them. Unfortunately, this is nothing new. The blame game has been going on since the beginning of time. Do you remember the account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3)? After they both had disobeyed God by eating of the forbidden fruit, neither one of them was willing to take responsibility for their sin. In fact, when God asked Adam if he’d eaten of the tree which he was commanded not to eat, Adam immediately blamed his disobedience on Eve: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Gen. 3:12). As if that weren’t bad enough, Adam seemed to push the blame even further away from himself when he said: “The woman whom you gave to be with me.” Not only is Adam blaming Eve for his actions, but it appears he had the audacity to blame God. Are you kidding? Really Adam?
As for Eve, she didn’t do any better when she had the opportunity to take responsibility for her actions. When God asked her what she had done, she said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (13). Eve followed in the steps of Adam and placed the blame on the serpent. Here we have two people who were clearly guilty of disobeying God and neither one wanted to take responsibility for their disobedience. Instead, they took the easy way out and placed the blame on someone else.
Friends, that’s just lame! If we are guilty (and we usually are) we need to take responsibility for what has happened. Paul wrote, “For each one will bear his own load” (Gal. 6:5). According to scripture each one of us is responsible before God for our actions, mistakes, struggles, etc. We better accept the blame and strive to make it right because we will eventually have to answer for it (Rom. 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10). Don’t be lame, accept the blame and make things right!
Here are a few things to do when you are to blame (which is all the time) for your actions and disobedience.
- Pray and ask God to forgive you (I Jn. 1:9).
- If your actions have caused others pain, apologize to them and make things right (Matt. 5:23-24).
- Work on taking responsibility for your actions (Prov. 28:13).
Now that’s Something to Think About!
Prayer: Father, please help me to take responsibility for my actions, my mistakes, my struggles, my problems and every aspect of my life. When I am tempted to blame others for these things, please open my eyes to my personal responsibility. Help me to see that I have no one to blame but myself. Please forgive me for my need to blame others and help me to be more willing to accept responsibility for my actions and seek forgiveness. In Jesus name, Amen.
Mar
07
The Challenge To Choose
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Our days are filled with choices. From the time we wake up until the time we go to bed, we make choices. Some of those choices are small and insignificant while others are more important and have greater consequences. Let’s briefly consider a few of the more important choices we all have to make.
The words we speak are an important choice we make each day. The wise man wrote, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Pro. 18:21). Our tongues are so powerful that they can bring death or life to the people to whom we speak. Have you ever had someone say something nice or encouraging to you? Those words made you feel better, didn’t they? Paul told the church at Ephesus the only thing that needed to come out of their mouths was that which built others up (Eph. 4:29). Each day we must choose whether the words we speak build others up or tear others down.
Not only are our words important but so are our actions. Every day we must choose whether or not our actions will bring glory to God. Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, sothat they may see your good works andgive glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). When people look at our lives, what do they see? Do they see someone who is just like everyone else or do they see someone who is different, someone whose life reflects that of Christ? Paul told Titus, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (Tit. 1:16). Each day we must choose whether or not our actions bring glory to God or deny Him.
Joshua challenged the children of Israel when he said, “Choose this day whom you will serve” (Jos. 24:15). That is the same challenge you and I have to accept the minute we wake up each morning. If we fail to make that choice each day, we are more likely to give in to the temptations we face. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down to the king’s idol because they had already made the choice to serve God (Dan. 3). Each day we must choose whether we serve God or the ways of the world?
We all are faced with choices each day. Although we face many different choices, some choices confront all of us. Do your words build others up or tear others down? Are you actions bringing glory to God or glory to something else? Is your heart devoted to the service of God or to the ways of the world? The choice is yours…I challenge you to choose!