The Blame Game
Adam and Eve had it all. They had a beautiful home. They had everything they could ever want. Plenty to eat, plenty to drink and plenty to make them happy. But one day Eve wandered away from her companion and found herself by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As she entertained the thoughts placed in her mind by the serpent she soon found herself a sinner. She was deceived and her first thought was to share this wonderful fruit with her husband.
He then tasted of the fruit and they both began to realize their real situation. As the Lord called for them they no longer felt the desire to go to Him and be with Him but instead they ran and hid themselves. When the Lord found them and spoke to them what did they do? They began to point the finger.
Adam began to accuse his wife that "THOU GAVEST". What he was really saying is that it was God’s fault. And Eve blamed the serpent. But was it God’s fault? Was Adam right? No, it was not. Adam made a free choice to sin. It was a simple thing. Simply eating of some fruit from a tree which God had told them not to eat of.
But how many of us do the same thing in our lives. Rather than take the responsibility for our own actions we begin looking for an excuse or someone to blame. But is there an excuse? If there was an excuse for it it would not be sin because we would be justified in our actions.
Some people look at a pastor or church member that has hurt them as an excuse for there rejection of God but is that fair? Should the God that loves us and gave His son for us be blamed for what another human does? Why reject God because someone who claims to be His disciple hurts us?
What if a young woman wanted to marry a handsome young man. He is the perfect mate for her in every way. She can see that he is loyal and faithful to her. He is attentive to her and calls her every chance he gets. He has given her everything to make her happy. But one day a person comes up to her and says he is a friend of her fiancé and he then proceeds to kick her and then walks away. Should her response be to abandon the young man that she is in love with because this person, claiming to be his friend, hurt her? No, that would be dumb. Yet many people use a similar experience to abandon their faith in God. They say that they are not going to go to church because this one or that one hurt them. They give up one God because of the hypocrites. But our relationship with God should not be based on what others say or do. Our relationship with God is ours. HE is our God, not that other person that claims a relationship with Him. It is a relationship with God that we should have---not a relationship with other church members.
Some people blame their parents for their situation. While it is true that our parents do play a role in forming our understanding of the world we are still free moral agents to choose to follow the Lord or to go our own way. We can make a relationship with God by reading His word and finding out how He treats others and what He wants for us. We do have habits and ideas that we get from our parents that are very difficult to overcome but God can help us overcome those if we pray and ask Him to help us. Our parents are erring humans who may not have a right concept of who God is or what He is like. They have raised us and we have an obligation to care for and respect them as a Christian should but to blame them for our rejection of God would be foolish. Let’s allow God the opportunity to be that trustworthy parent that He is.
Some people, like Adam blame our spouses for our situation. We may say to ourselves that if he would attend church I would. And then we rest secure and feel at liberty to choose the easy, accommodating path. But Christ said:
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26-27
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33
God loves you so much friend. He wants you to be his child. He promises to care for you and be your family. He promises:
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Psalm 27:10
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deut. 31:6
For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. Psalm 94:14
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
Friend God is so good and He loves you so much. He can give you power to live right and He can lead you in the right path if you just make the choice to follow Him. He can even give you the desire to do right if you ask Him for it. All good gifts are available from Him who loves to save His children.
He then tasted of the fruit and they both began to realize their real situation. As the Lord called for them they no longer felt the desire to go to Him and be with Him but instead they ran and hid themselves. When the Lord found them and spoke to them what did they do? They began to point the finger.
Adam began to accuse his wife that "THOU GAVEST". What he was really saying is that it was God’s fault. And Eve blamed the serpent. But was it God’s fault? Was Adam right? No, it was not. Adam made a free choice to sin. It was a simple thing. Simply eating of some fruit from a tree which God had told them not to eat of.
But how many of us do the same thing in our lives. Rather than take the responsibility for our own actions we begin looking for an excuse or someone to blame. But is there an excuse? If there was an excuse for it it would not be sin because we would be justified in our actions.
Some people look at a pastor or church member that has hurt them as an excuse for there rejection of God but is that fair? Should the God that loves us and gave His son for us be blamed for what another human does? Why reject God because someone who claims to be His disciple hurts us?
What if a young woman wanted to marry a handsome young man. He is the perfect mate for her in every way. She can see that he is loyal and faithful to her. He is attentive to her and calls her every chance he gets. He has given her everything to make her happy. But one day a person comes up to her and says he is a friend of her fiancé and he then proceeds to kick her and then walks away. Should her response be to abandon the young man that she is in love with because this person, claiming to be his friend, hurt her? No, that would be dumb. Yet many people use a similar experience to abandon their faith in God. They say that they are not going to go to church because this one or that one hurt them. They give up one God because of the hypocrites. But our relationship with God should not be based on what others say or do. Our relationship with God is ours. HE is our God, not that other person that claims a relationship with Him. It is a relationship with God that we should have---not a relationship with other church members.
Some people blame their parents for their situation. While it is true that our parents do play a role in forming our understanding of the world we are still free moral agents to choose to follow the Lord or to go our own way. We can make a relationship with God by reading His word and finding out how He treats others and what He wants for us. We do have habits and ideas that we get from our parents that are very difficult to overcome but God can help us overcome those if we pray and ask Him to help us. Our parents are erring humans who may not have a right concept of who God is or what He is like. They have raised us and we have an obligation to care for and respect them as a Christian should but to blame them for our rejection of God would be foolish. Let’s allow God the opportunity to be that trustworthy parent that He is.
Some people, like Adam blame our spouses for our situation. We may say to ourselves that if he would attend church I would. And then we rest secure and feel at liberty to choose the easy, accommodating path. But Christ said:
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26-27
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33
God loves you so much friend. He wants you to be his child. He promises to care for you and be your family. He promises:
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Psalm 27:10
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deut. 31:6
For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. Psalm 94:14
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5
Friend God is so good and He loves you so much. He can give you power to live right and He can lead you in the right path if you just make the choice to follow Him. He can even give you the desire to do right if you ask Him for it. All good gifts are available from Him who loves to save His children.
posted by Michael A. Redwine at Wednesday, March 08, 2006
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