The Blame Game

James 1:13 - And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me."  God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never temps anyone else.

Last night at church, I heard an amazing (and convicting) message about temptation, and how quick we all are to blame others for our mistakes and shortcomings.  The Pastor pointed out that often one of the biggest recipients of our blame, is God.

He also talked about the difference between a trial and a temptation.  God does allow trials, and He does so to strengthen and refine us.  But the temptations come from within.  They are our response to the trial.  The temptation is to let our sin nature control our response.

It is often said, and I truly believe this, that we cannot control our circumstances (trials), but we can control our responses to them (temptations).  The response we often choose comes from our sin nature that we as humans have inherited.  When we go through a tough season, things can seem to snowball.  The snowball effect happens when things get worse because we are responding incorrectly.

I could choose to be mad at God for any number of things that have happened to me in my life.  But they aren't His fault.  They are a product of poor choices I have made.  The Pastor told a story of a woman that had gotten a couple of DUI's, and blamed God for them.  He asked her if she loaned her kid her car, and he got in an accident because he had been drinking, would it be her fault.  She said of course it wouldn't.  He said, then why is it God's fault that you made the wrong choices to get behind the wheel after you had been drinking?  Like I said...convicting.

Our tendency to play the blame game isn't something new that has come about because of the advances of technology either.  It comes from our sinful nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve.  Remember when God asked Adam if he had done what he was told not to do, he immediately blamed Eve, and blamed God for giving him the woman.  When God confronted Eve, she immediately blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:11-13).  There sure was a lot of finger pointing going on.  They chose to play the blame game instead of accepting responsibility for their actions.

The good news is that the solution is found in the problem.  Instead of blaming everyone and everything that comes to mind, we must accept responsibility for our actions.  While we don't control our circumstances, neither does anyone else.  God is the One who has absolute control, so instead of blaming our neighbors, coworkers, or complete strangers for things we've done, we have an obligation to accept responsibility for the choices we make that guided our actions in response to the trials we have been faced with.

I am so glad that I heard that message last night, because I know that I have been known to play the blame game from time to time.  While I'm not as bad as I used to be about it, I could still definitely improve on it.  If I want to be the person that God wants me to be, I have to remember that I have the choice to be that person or not.  I have proven to myself that choosing to be outside the will of God has led me down some dark paths in my past.  God has proven to me that when I have chosen to operate within His will, He has, and will continue to, rain down amazing blessings.  I like that choice better.

Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing me where I am coming up short.  I am so grateful for the amazing teaching You have given me through Your Word and through those You have appointed to teach it.  The blessings You have bestowed, far outweigh all of the dark paths I have ventured down because of my poor choices.  I pray for anyone that is making the wrong choices, and blaming You or anyone else for the consequences.  My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will convict them to see that they have no one to blame for their poor choices but themselves.  I pray they will stop choosing to be apart from You, and will accept Your forgiveness and redemption.  I pray that we all choose wisely when the trials come, so that we will not give into the temptation to sin.  In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!



God Bless!!!