Let’s just be honest. Let’s be honest with ourselves and honest with everyone else. ‘It’s not my fault. If you had not said that I wouldn’t have…’
It’s not my fault you’re so sensitive.
“I’m not mean, you just don’t know how to take a joke.”
“I know I talked about how I was going to commit a crime on my social media pages. Yes, I know they found a video of me committing the crime on my phone and they say that I had the weapons used to commit the crime in my possession when I turned myself in to the authorities but I am not guilty.”
“I just don’t like people.”
“I would be nice to them but they bring out the worst in me.”
“Jesus has forgiven me, so I can do whatever I want!”
Have you blamed others or even God for your thoughts and actions?
Galatians 6:1-9 KJV
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
For every man shall bear his own burden.
Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
One thing I believe Paul was telling the people was the importance of taking personal responsibility for their actions. Unfortunately, world history of filled with people not taking responsibility for their actions. This attitude dates back to when Adam sinned.
In the Garden, life was perfect. There were no worries or fears. It was a place absent of lack, disease, disaster, shame and death. It was Paradise. It didn’t even rain! Then sin entered the world. The woman was deceived and she gave what she had eaten to her husband who was with her. Then God called them. You know the story, they hid because they were ashamed. Who wouldn’t be? Well as the events continue to unfold the man and the woman play the blame game, neither stop to take responsibility for their individual actions. Just like then so it is now, denial! There’s no healing or forgiveness where we fail to acknowledgement of activities. Why would anyone ask for forgiveness for what they didn’t do it? Or it wasn’t their fault? Would you?
The Bible and the entire world are filled with events of people not taking responsibility. Wars have been fought because leaders were unwilling to take responsibility for their situations leaving millions dead. Adam and Eve didn’t take responsibility for their actions as individuals and Adam didn’t take responsibility as the head of his house. They were guilty and we’re guilty of the same type of sin…Ignoring the Word of God! That’s why David said, ‘against you only have I sinned’, see Psalm 51. Because it was God’s word that David had violated.
It’s amazing! We are living generations after the last letter was written in the Bible and we still haven’t learned its valuable lessons:
- Obey the Word of God
- Take responsibility for our actions
I hate to say it but it must said, “Even the chosen people of God are still being deceived as we follow voices and teachings that aren’t God’s.” God is perfect and His Word is perfect. He doesn’t need to be adjusted or modified at anytime and for any reason. God spoke the end from the beginning. See Isaiah 46:10 and Psalm 119:160.
Why haven’t we learned to take responsibility?
Wow! People have been caught committing crimes, the accused have made videos of the crimes, boasted about it on social media then stand before the judge and plead, you guessed it, “Not guilty!” That’s what ungodly counsel does. It makes us unrepentant thereby missing out on the compassion of the courts and more importantly the forgiveness and mercy of God.
That’s how sin works! Sin causes of to think, ‘It’s not my fault.’ ‘I’m a product of my environment.’ ‘I didn’t know!’ And the list goes on. It’s not that ‘Sin’ is an intity, a person or anything like that. But sinning does the same thing to us as it did to Adam, caused him to feel ashamed, who what’s to feel shame?
Paul reminds us of the importance of helping other people improve the quality of their lives and he reminds us that we are to take responsibility for our actions.
For too long we have justified our actions by blaming others. We’ve deflected the blame from ourselves to our neighbors. (That’s not loving our neighbors as ourself, it is falsely accusing others.)
We have wasted too much time blaming others for our actions. Judging them as sinners and rebellions because we have not listened to the voice of God. Yes, people do make us angry. They do! The way to respond to sin is God’s way, love and kindness. When we sin against people, we are sinning against God. It’s God’s word that we are violating.
God told Moses after the people had made an idol, “Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” Exodus 32:33
Jesus put it like this in Matthew 12:34-37
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
We live in a society were taking personal responsibility is considered taboo. We are taught to blame others as away to feel better about ourselves. Blaming others means it really wasn’t me, it was them. It didn’t work with Adam and Eve, and it won’t work for us.
Proverbs is loaded with words of profound wisdom on our response to sinners. Proverbs 1:10 tells us not to fall the leading of the wicked. Don’t let the wick entice or provoke you to sin.
Let’s take responsibility for our actions and the actions of those under our authority. Job offered sacrifices for his children in case they sinned, see Job 1. Acknowledging our situation is where recovery and healing begin. That way we can confess our sins, God can wash us, we will be clean, guilt free and able to worship Him unashamed.
Who are you holding accountable for your thoughts and actions? Guess what? God is holding you accountable for you.
Sidebar: Taking responsibility doesn’t mean others are not guilty, it simply means you’re taking responsibility for what you did.
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