May 11, 1999
After two shootings in as many weeks, most of us are in shock and grieving, not entirely objective. Few actually knew these children or the families that are involved. Most were not there and glad of it, yet everyone has an opinion about who to blame, about whose fault it was.
Parents are almost always first to take the flack. They are either too strict, or too lenient, or not there, or not in touch with their kids, or the child was beaten or deprived. Yet how can we explain a child murderer if that child’s parents were loving, concerned and did their best? As John Kindred’s column (April 27) pointed out, children from good homes sometimes turn out bad.
Also consider God, the perfect parent. He provided an ideal environment (including work and responsibility) for His children, yet Adam and Eve decided to disobey Him. Their choice adversely affected the entire human race yet no one blames God for their failure.
What about education? Were the children with the guns taught how to manage their lives? Their anger? Didn’t these rebellious teens know the harm they could do, the lives they could ruin? Whether they knew or not, or were taught or not, education can hardly be blamed. Statistics show that the nations with the highest standards of education also have the highest crime rates. Also, any parent knows you can teach it but that does not mean they learn it.
Are these shootings the government’s fault? Legislators try. They bring in gun controls, beef up the Young Offenders Act, but it doesn’t seem to work. In fact, most researchers say that gun control or lack of it, does not affect the incidents of violence. I suppose if an angry person with murder in mind cannot obtain a gun, he or she could use a baseball bat or a big rock.
A radio talk show highlighted the responsibility of the media and pointed fingers. They cited statistics about rising crime rates in countries that feature violence in their movies, TV shows and other media. Certainly what we see and hear affects us, otherwise advertisers would not spend billions of dollars for time and space to promote their products. Also, media moguls should be held responsible for any garbage they produce, but, are they responsible for what we do with their garbage? That is like blaming Madison Avenue every time we make a poor purchase.
Certainly violence in the media sells a “product” but only to those who are in the mood to buy it. We do not buy every item we see on television. We do not go to war simply because we see it on film or in a news clip. After seeing and hearing it all, we are still free to make choices.
When we make decisions, no one can coerce or influence us without our consent. How we choose is based on our wants, likes, dislikes, knowledge, perception, the strength of the hype, and a host of other things, nevertheless, we are still free to choose. God granted us that freedom, His laws are designed around it, and He will not violate it Himself. He has the power to make us do what He wants but instead says, “Choose this day whom you will serve . . .”
Has it occurred to anyone that the two boys in Littleton and the other in Taber shot other children because they choose to? Years ago, they were babies with parents who made decisions for them, but as they grew, they began to decide for themselves. They picked what shirts to wear, what color they wanted their rooms, what subjects to take in school. They were bright, intelligent young people, who one day decided to do an evil thing.
Too many people will not accept responsibility for their own choices and their own outbursts. Just think how often people say, “You make me so mad” as if they had no choice. As a result, when someone does anything wrong, they blame everyone else but the person who did it.
God clearly says that those who choose to disobey Him will “eat the fruit of their ways.” Ironically, by choosing that fruit, those three boys (like Adam and Eve before them) ruined many lives too. My deepest sympathy to those who mourn in Colorado and Alberta.
Showing posts with label being responsible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label being responsible. Show all posts
Monday, September 11, 2017
Friday, March 25, 2016
Why doesn’t God fix it? .................. Parables 410
March 1, 1994
Babies die. Children waste away with cancer. Marriages fall apart. Car accidents take lives. People brutally murder other people. Tornadoes destroy people and property. Earthquakes, floods, and fires take their toll. People are trapped in poverty or wheel chairs or pitifully hooked up to tubes. Why doesn’t God fix everything?
Struggling and skeptical people ask how could there be a God when life is so difficult, so painful? How could God be good and still allow all these things? If there is a God, he is not fair. Why doesn’t God fix everything?
Think for a minute what the world be like if He did. There would be no more illness or death, no more economic downturns, no more wars globally or across the breakfast table. No one would ever have an accident or break a bone. There would be more hate. And the weather would be perfect and the environment completely stable. We would like that. All our problems would be over. Or would they?
The greatest difficulty with this scenario is that when God did fix these things, people really did not welcome His efforts. He raised dead children and adults. He healed those with wasting, horrible diseases. He taught people how to love one another. He ordered the wind to stop blowing. He fed crowds with a handful of groceries. He fixed everything.
It was fantastic for a time. People were excited about what He was doing. However, as much as He loved them and wanted them to experience His power and be healed from the damage of life, He was far more interested in dealing with the roots of their problems. These diseases and troubles were merely the symptoms. Like a physician, He knew that no matter how many people rose from the dead, human hearts are sicker than bodies with cancer or leprosy. For that root problem, His fix was repentance and faith in Him.
It was at this the people balked. They wanted everything fixed, but only up to a point. If it meant a change in the way they thought and lived, they were not interested.
It seems that the issue should have ended in a simple stalemate. God wanted to help them, they only wanted a certain amount of help. God would fix as much as they would let Him, and everyone would be happy. Not so.
The people proved the very point God was trying to make. The condition of their hearts was their greatest problem. Instead of a polite “no thanks” to God’s offer, they retaliated against Him. They accused Him of being Satan. They hurled insults and spit in His face. They mocked Him and nailed Him to a tree. Rather than having God fix everything, they killed Him.
We are responsible for the consequences of our choices, not God. If I insist on eating junk food all day, I will develop health problems. Is it fair to God to ask Him to fix that, even though in mercy He might?
My own sin and the sin of other people brings problems into my life. I may not be personally responsible all the time but can anyone ask God to fix the problem without expecting Him to deal with the sin and the sinner(s) that are responsible? Human responsibility consequences make sense.
Actually, there is a day coming when God will make all things perfect. Revelation 21 says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
His offer is still available.
Babies die. Children waste away with cancer. Marriages fall apart. Car accidents take lives. People brutally murder other people. Tornadoes destroy people and property. Earthquakes, floods, and fires take their toll. People are trapped in poverty or wheel chairs or pitifully hooked up to tubes. Why doesn’t God fix everything?
Struggling and skeptical people ask how could there be a God when life is so difficult, so painful? How could God be good and still allow all these things? If there is a God, he is not fair. Why doesn’t God fix everything?
Think for a minute what the world be like if He did. There would be no more illness or death, no more economic downturns, no more wars globally or across the breakfast table. No one would ever have an accident or break a bone. There would be more hate. And the weather would be perfect and the environment completely stable. We would like that. All our problems would be over. Or would they?
The greatest difficulty with this scenario is that when God did fix these things, people really did not welcome His efforts. He raised dead children and adults. He healed those with wasting, horrible diseases. He taught people how to love one another. He ordered the wind to stop blowing. He fed crowds with a handful of groceries. He fixed everything.
It was fantastic for a time. People were excited about what He was doing. However, as much as He loved them and wanted them to experience His power and be healed from the damage of life, He was far more interested in dealing with the roots of their problems. These diseases and troubles were merely the symptoms. Like a physician, He knew that no matter how many people rose from the dead, human hearts are sicker than bodies with cancer or leprosy. For that root problem, His fix was repentance and faith in Him.
It was at this the people balked. They wanted everything fixed, but only up to a point. If it meant a change in the way they thought and lived, they were not interested.
It seems that the issue should have ended in a simple stalemate. God wanted to help them, they only wanted a certain amount of help. God would fix as much as they would let Him, and everyone would be happy. Not so.
The people proved the very point God was trying to make. The condition of their hearts was their greatest problem. Instead of a polite “no thanks” to God’s offer, they retaliated against Him. They accused Him of being Satan. They hurled insults and spit in His face. They mocked Him and nailed Him to a tree. Rather than having God fix everything, they killed Him.
We are responsible for the consequences of our choices, not God. If I insist on eating junk food all day, I will develop health problems. Is it fair to God to ask Him to fix that, even though in mercy He might?
My own sin and the sin of other people brings problems into my life. I may not be personally responsible all the time but can anyone ask God to fix the problem without expecting Him to deal with the sin and the sinner(s) that are responsible? Human responsibility consequences make sense.
Actually, there is a day coming when God will make all things perfect. Revelation 21 says, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
His offer is still available.
Monday, January 4, 2016
The Bible and Politics ............. Parables 374
June 15, 1993
Next to sports and entertainment, the most prevalent topic in an average daily newspaper is politics, politicians and political issues.
During elections, the stories multiply. Many of them debate which hopeful is the best or the worst candidate for leadership. Some quote platform promises.
Some of those promises sound much like Absalom, son of King David, who wanted the throne of his father: “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice” (2 Sam 15:4).
Verse 5 says Absalom “reached out his hand, took hold of and kissed” everyone who came and honored him. He was a clever (but underhanded) politician who “stole the hearts of the men of Israel.”
A few hundred years later, a king named Herod also made some interesting political moves. When John the Baptist told him it was “not lawful” that he stole his brother’s wife (Matthew 14:4), Herod was upset. He wanted to put John to death; however he feared the people who thought John was a prophet. So put him in prison instead. But Herod’s wife ruled the king. She managed to trick him into a situation where he was pressured to save face in front of his followers. The only way to do it was by beheading John after all.
Not long after that, a certain governor named Pilate asked an angry crowd why he should pass sentence on an innocent man (Matthew 27). They responded with even louder demands for that man’s death. Pilate realized he was not getting anywhere so he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, declared this man’s blood was on their hands.
These stories point out both leaders and followers have some responsibility to hold to legal and moral standards. In that sense, Herod and Pilate not only failed, but so did the people whose demands swayed their decisions.
In the usual sense, neither were even leaders. Both listened to whoever made the most noise or put the most pressure on them (which seems to be the democratic way) rather than stand firm for law and justice. They let fools without concern for truth or right tell them what to do.
Herod’s biggest concern was his public opinion poles. Pilate may have had some sense of legality but his fear of explaining a Jewish riot to his Roman superiors overrode his fear of making an illegal decision. Then he wouldn’t take responsibility, but he did tell the crowd they were guilty of killing the Son of God.
Obviously everyone is responsible for good government. The Bible says leaders should obey God and do right. It also says followers are to pray for their leaders and obey them. If we don’t like what they do, sometimes it is because they are merely listening to whoever is making the most noise.
In a democracy, where leadership represents the wishes of voters, we are also responsible for the demands we make. We are responsible for letting them know what we appreciate as well. Sadly, even good leaders only hear grumbling. David was the best king Israel ever had, yet all some could think of was get him off the throne and put in someone like Absalom, who was dishonest and deceitful, in his place.
Even though she sometimes doesn’t like current political policies, my mother often says we get the government we deserve. Maybe she is right.
Next to sports and entertainment, the most prevalent topic in an average daily newspaper is politics, politicians and political issues.
During elections, the stories multiply. Many of them debate which hopeful is the best or the worst candidate for leadership. Some quote platform promises.
Some of those promises sound much like Absalom, son of King David, who wanted the throne of his father: “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice” (2 Sam 15:4).
Verse 5 says Absalom “reached out his hand, took hold of and kissed” everyone who came and honored him. He was a clever (but underhanded) politician who “stole the hearts of the men of Israel.”
A few hundred years later, a king named Herod also made some interesting political moves. When John the Baptist told him it was “not lawful” that he stole his brother’s wife (Matthew 14:4), Herod was upset. He wanted to put John to death; however he feared the people who thought John was a prophet. So put him in prison instead. But Herod’s wife ruled the king. She managed to trick him into a situation where he was pressured to save face in front of his followers. The only way to do it was by beheading John after all.
Not long after that, a certain governor named Pilate asked an angry crowd why he should pass sentence on an innocent man (Matthew 27). They responded with even louder demands for that man’s death. Pilate realized he was not getting anywhere so he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, declared this man’s blood was on their hands.
These stories point out both leaders and followers have some responsibility to hold to legal and moral standards. In that sense, Herod and Pilate not only failed, but so did the people whose demands swayed their decisions.
In the usual sense, neither were even leaders. Both listened to whoever made the most noise or put the most pressure on them (which seems to be the democratic way) rather than stand firm for law and justice. They let fools without concern for truth or right tell them what to do.
Herod’s biggest concern was his public opinion poles. Pilate may have had some sense of legality but his fear of explaining a Jewish riot to his Roman superiors overrode his fear of making an illegal decision. Then he wouldn’t take responsibility, but he did tell the crowd they were guilty of killing the Son of God.
Obviously everyone is responsible for good government. The Bible says leaders should obey God and do right. It also says followers are to pray for their leaders and obey them. If we don’t like what they do, sometimes it is because they are merely listening to whoever is making the most noise.
In a democracy, where leadership represents the wishes of voters, we are also responsible for the demands we make. We are responsible for letting them know what we appreciate as well. Sadly, even good leaders only hear grumbling. David was the best king Israel ever had, yet all some could think of was get him off the throne and put in someone like Absalom, who was dishonest and deceitful, in his place.
Even though she sometimes doesn’t like current political policies, my mother often says we get the government we deserve. Maybe she is right.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Responsibilities and Law Suits ............. Parables 365
April 13, 1993
A week or so ago I used lawsuits against computer companies to illustrate our human tendency to blame problems on others who did not directly cause them. At least one sufferer of repetitive stress injuries took offense. My apologies. These Parables are not intended to belittle people in pain but to point to God who loves us and has tremendous power to bring good from even the worst things that happen to us.
RSI is a serious physical condition and can lead to work loss and even permanent disability. Some are not aware that doing the same task over and over (particularly at work stations that force unsafe posture) can be so damaging. Employers need to provide more information and safer working conditions. Those prone to RSI need to take every precaution possible.
While I could further explore medical and legal ramifications, this column is intended to bring out the biblical perspective on situations like these. For instance, what does God say about employers who ignore worker-safety? And what about the pain felt by those injured? Or the added frustration whenever no one seems to care about their situation?
God’s Word directly addresses these concerns. Surprisingly, He offers warnings, instruction and hope to BOTH sides of the issue.
Exploitation is not a new thing. In New Testament times when the Romans ruled Israel, it was legal for Roman soldiers to force bystanders to carry their equipment up to one mile. They were also known to intimidate and extort money from helpless people.
Soldiers were not the only abusers. Masters beat their slaves, employers overworked and underpaid their servants, and leaders exploited their followers.
Even though God gave many rules regarding these relationships, people didn’t obey them just like they don’t obey Him today. Yet God offered hope to these cruel and heartless people. John the Baptist warned them to repent and Jesus offered forgiveness if they did.
Injured people were also given instruction and hope. First God warned them not to retaliate. Jesus put it this way, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Matt. 5:38-41).
God’s people were expected to do their jobs in faith with Christlike attitudes: “Bond servants, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ” (Ephesians 6:5). They were to do this regardless of how they were treated: “...submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.... if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God (1 Peter 2).
This seems unfair but God is more interested that suffering people do not sin by returning evil with evil. Sin will only damage us even more. Instead, He wants us to come to Him with our pain. He suffered far more than we ever will so He knows how we feel. When we reach out to Him, He gives strength to endure and sometimes even lifts the pain or heals the problem. Furthermore, if we cooperate, He promises to use suffering to develop and strengthen our character (1 Peter 5:10).
Exploitation and neglect of others, with its resulting pain, confirms that our world is not the way God intended it to be. Harm comes when people disobey God and sin against one another. Human techniques seem good in that they may constrain the abusive and give temporary consolation to those who are injured. Yet sin is a spiritual problem and whether a person is a perpetrator or a victim of it, the best way to deal with sin’s devastation is through spiritual methods.
According to God, the first step is full surrender to Him.
A week or so ago I used lawsuits against computer companies to illustrate our human tendency to blame problems on others who did not directly cause them. At least one sufferer of repetitive stress injuries took offense. My apologies. These Parables are not intended to belittle people in pain but to point to God who loves us and has tremendous power to bring good from even the worst things that happen to us.
RSI is a serious physical condition and can lead to work loss and even permanent disability. Some are not aware that doing the same task over and over (particularly at work stations that force unsafe posture) can be so damaging. Employers need to provide more information and safer working conditions. Those prone to RSI need to take every precaution possible.
While I could further explore medical and legal ramifications, this column is intended to bring out the biblical perspective on situations like these. For instance, what does God say about employers who ignore worker-safety? And what about the pain felt by those injured? Or the added frustration whenever no one seems to care about their situation?
God’s Word directly addresses these concerns. Surprisingly, He offers warnings, instruction and hope to BOTH sides of the issue.
Exploitation is not a new thing. In New Testament times when the Romans ruled Israel, it was legal for Roman soldiers to force bystanders to carry their equipment up to one mile. They were also known to intimidate and extort money from helpless people.
Soldiers were not the only abusers. Masters beat their slaves, employers overworked and underpaid their servants, and leaders exploited their followers.
Even though God gave many rules regarding these relationships, people didn’t obey them just like they don’t obey Him today. Yet God offered hope to these cruel and heartless people. John the Baptist warned them to repent and Jesus offered forgiveness if they did.
Injured people were also given instruction and hope. First God warned them not to retaliate. Jesus put it this way, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Matt. 5:38-41).
God’s people were expected to do their jobs in faith with Christlike attitudes: “Bond servants, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ” (Ephesians 6:5). They were to do this regardless of how they were treated: “...submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.... if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God (1 Peter 2).
This seems unfair but God is more interested that suffering people do not sin by returning evil with evil. Sin will only damage us even more. Instead, He wants us to come to Him with our pain. He suffered far more than we ever will so He knows how we feel. When we reach out to Him, He gives strength to endure and sometimes even lifts the pain or heals the problem. Furthermore, if we cooperate, He promises to use suffering to develop and strengthen our character (1 Peter 5:10).
Exploitation and neglect of others, with its resulting pain, confirms that our world is not the way God intended it to be. Harm comes when people disobey God and sin against one another. Human techniques seem good in that they may constrain the abusive and give temporary consolation to those who are injured. Yet sin is a spiritual problem and whether a person is a perpetrator or a victim of it, the best way to deal with sin’s devastation is through spiritual methods.
According to God, the first step is full surrender to Him.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Reasonableness and repetitive stress............. Parables 363
March 30, 1993
Several hundred members of the American workforce have initiated lawsuits because they have RSI. In fact, some estimate these civil actions will cost computer manufacturers up to $4 billion over the next few years.
RSI stands for repetitive stress injuries. These injuries account for over 50% of occupational illnesses in the United States and many of those who suffer are computer operators. Over-use of their muscles and tendons in fingers, arms, hands, and shoulders has produced permanent physical damage. When we wrote strictly with pens, we had a much milder form of RSI: writers’ cramp.
Interesting that the manufacturers of computer equipment are being blamed for these injuries. Granted, the design of certain hardware, such as keyboards, might create pressure points, and some software is more physically demanding than others, but it seems to me that overuse, not design, is the cause of RSI.
Beyond the questionable logic behind these lawsuits lies another issue. I remember a service station owner telling us about a woman who sued him after he told her he was too busy to work on her car that day. Instead, she would have to wait 2 or 3 days. She was angry and proceeded to take the man to court demanding her personal rights — to the exclusion of common sense. In this case, the judge did not agree with her demand and dismissed the case, reprimanding both lawyers for wasting the court’s time.
It looks as if RSI complainers will get more attention during their day in court. For one thing, there are more of them; for another, they do have a legitimate problem. However, does this make their demands reasonable or even logical?
It seems fair and logical that service station owners have a right to schedule their own work load. On the other hand, it is not always easy to let fairness and logic prevail. There have been occasions when I didn’t want to accept responsibility for my own actions so shifted the focus by accusing some innocent bystander.
Worse yet, I have even blamed God for pain I myself caused, even said something like: “If you had not made the world like this, I would not be hurting right now” or “If You had given me the strength I needed, I wouldn’t be having so much trouble with this temptation...”
The Bible is much more logical. It puts responsibility where it belongs and refuses to allow us to point our fingers at anyone else. James focuses on our tendency to blame God for our failures: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God” for God cannot... tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1).
Hurting ourselves with hard work at a computer may not be sin but the principle is the same. Blaming God or suing the next handiest scapegoat does not help. Even if the courts do order computer companies to pay up, anyone who demands unjust compensation shoots themselves in the foot. Not only are they stuck with an uncured RSI, but in the long run the cost comes back to the customers in higher prices or less service... infringing the rights of other computer operators.
Someone has said that when demands for personal rights escalate there will eventually come a time when no one has any rights at all. The end of this escalation has to begin with four words: “It was my responsibility”.
Several hundred members of the American workforce have initiated lawsuits because they have RSI. In fact, some estimate these civil actions will cost computer manufacturers up to $4 billion over the next few years.
RSI stands for repetitive stress injuries. These injuries account for over 50% of occupational illnesses in the United States and many of those who suffer are computer operators. Over-use of their muscles and tendons in fingers, arms, hands, and shoulders has produced permanent physical damage. When we wrote strictly with pens, we had a much milder form of RSI: writers’ cramp.
Interesting that the manufacturers of computer equipment are being blamed for these injuries. Granted, the design of certain hardware, such as keyboards, might create pressure points, and some software is more physically demanding than others, but it seems to me that overuse, not design, is the cause of RSI.
Beyond the questionable logic behind these lawsuits lies another issue. I remember a service station owner telling us about a woman who sued him after he told her he was too busy to work on her car that day. Instead, she would have to wait 2 or 3 days. She was angry and proceeded to take the man to court demanding her personal rights — to the exclusion of common sense. In this case, the judge did not agree with her demand and dismissed the case, reprimanding both lawyers for wasting the court’s time.
It looks as if RSI complainers will get more attention during their day in court. For one thing, there are more of them; for another, they do have a legitimate problem. However, does this make their demands reasonable or even logical?
It seems fair and logical that service station owners have a right to schedule their own work load. On the other hand, it is not always easy to let fairness and logic prevail. There have been occasions when I didn’t want to accept responsibility for my own actions so shifted the focus by accusing some innocent bystander.
Worse yet, I have even blamed God for pain I myself caused, even said something like: “If you had not made the world like this, I would not be hurting right now” or “If You had given me the strength I needed, I wouldn’t be having so much trouble with this temptation...”
The Bible is much more logical. It puts responsibility where it belongs and refuses to allow us to point our fingers at anyone else. James focuses on our tendency to blame God for our failures: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God” for God cannot... tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1).
Hurting ourselves with hard work at a computer may not be sin but the principle is the same. Blaming God or suing the next handiest scapegoat does not help. Even if the courts do order computer companies to pay up, anyone who demands unjust compensation shoots themselves in the foot. Not only are they stuck with an uncured RSI, but in the long run the cost comes back to the customers in higher prices or less service... infringing the rights of other computer operators.
Someone has said that when demands for personal rights escalate there will eventually come a time when no one has any rights at all. The end of this escalation has to begin with four words: “It was my responsibility”.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Whose Fault Is It? .............. Parables 286
September 25, 1991
Our oldest son used to have a black T-shirt with “SAN ANDREAS EARTHQUAKE COMPANY” written on the front and “IT’S NOT MY FAULT” written on the back. When my husband tells a story about people who refuse to take responsibility for work that are clearly theirs, we think of that shirt. The explanation for not getting the job done is almost always “It’s not my fault.”
Everyone protests, “It’s not my fault...” now and then. And many times it isn’t their fault. However, when it is, the results of refusing to accept responsibility can be just as disastrous as an earthquake.
Consider Adam and Eve when confronted in the garden. God, perhaps with the apple core or fruit pit in His hand says to Adam, “I thought I told you not to eat from that tree...” and Adam comes back with, “The woman You gave me, she gave me the fruit from the tree... it’s not my fault, check out Eve...” (Reread Genesis 3, he actually did say that!)
So God turns to Eve and asks about her disobedience to His command. She says, “The serpent deceived me, so it’s not my fault, check out that snake...”
God doesn’t bother to ask the serpent about his responsibility. He knows this snake is an embodiment of Satan. This critter is far from having any interest in God’s commands and has no intention of taking responsibility for leading Eve into sin. So instead of waiting for the snake’s “It’s not my fault,” the Lord curses him to a lifetime of crawling in the dust.
Then God promises Satan there would be: “enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel,” a prophecy referring to Jesus Christ who would eventually gain victory over this beguiling deceiver.
After that, God tells the two buck-passers the consequences of their irresponsible behavior. Women would face multiplied sorrow as mothers (all mothers can relate to that) and there would be conflict in marriage relationships (all marrieds can relate to that). The man is told that making a living would be tough because the earth was now cursed as a result of this sin. Adam would battle thorns and thistles from then on “because he heeded the voice of his wife...” Furthermore, spiritual (and eventually, physical) death would come upon them as they are now separated from God and banished from access to the Tree of Life.
Adam was responsible to make right decisions, not be governed by his wife’s wrong suggestion. Eve was responsible to evaluate what even snakes say to her and determine if her decision would fit into God’s will. Yet both of them blamed someone else for their choices.
Being responsible for what we do is not always easy. When someone gives me wrong directions, I want to blame them that I got lost. When someone hurts me, I want to blame them for my angry reaction. If I goof up, I too easily look for a scapegoat, not wanting to bear the burden of my own mistakes. However, my husband says workers who make good impressions on a construction site are those who go to a superior and say, “I did not get the job done properly but am willing to try again... what kind of help can I get?”
Did Adam ever say, “I disobeyed You God... I not only failed to stop my wife from sin but entered into it with her... I am guilty, help me do the right thing”? Or did Eve say, “I made a horrible mistake, I wanted something that You told me I should not have... please forgive me, change my wants...”? We don’t know for sure but the Bible does tell us an amazing thing: when we say, “It is my fault...please help me...” God does a wonderful thing: He forgives our mistakes and removes our guilt, producing freedom and new life. Taking responsibility is worth it.
Our oldest son used to have a black T-shirt with “SAN ANDREAS EARTHQUAKE COMPANY” written on the front and “IT’S NOT MY FAULT” written on the back. When my husband tells a story about people who refuse to take responsibility for work that are clearly theirs, we think of that shirt. The explanation for not getting the job done is almost always “It’s not my fault.”
Everyone protests, “It’s not my fault...” now and then. And many times it isn’t their fault. However, when it is, the results of refusing to accept responsibility can be just as disastrous as an earthquake.
Consider Adam and Eve when confronted in the garden. God, perhaps with the apple core or fruit pit in His hand says to Adam, “I thought I told you not to eat from that tree...” and Adam comes back with, “The woman You gave me, she gave me the fruit from the tree... it’s not my fault, check out Eve...” (Reread Genesis 3, he actually did say that!)
So God turns to Eve and asks about her disobedience to His command. She says, “The serpent deceived me, so it’s not my fault, check out that snake...”
God doesn’t bother to ask the serpent about his responsibility. He knows this snake is an embodiment of Satan. This critter is far from having any interest in God’s commands and has no intention of taking responsibility for leading Eve into sin. So instead of waiting for the snake’s “It’s not my fault,” the Lord curses him to a lifetime of crawling in the dust.
Then God promises Satan there would be: “enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel,” a prophecy referring to Jesus Christ who would eventually gain victory over this beguiling deceiver.
After that, God tells the two buck-passers the consequences of their irresponsible behavior. Women would face multiplied sorrow as mothers (all mothers can relate to that) and there would be conflict in marriage relationships (all marrieds can relate to that). The man is told that making a living would be tough because the earth was now cursed as a result of this sin. Adam would battle thorns and thistles from then on “because he heeded the voice of his wife...” Furthermore, spiritual (and eventually, physical) death would come upon them as they are now separated from God and banished from access to the Tree of Life.
Adam was responsible to make right decisions, not be governed by his wife’s wrong suggestion. Eve was responsible to evaluate what even snakes say to her and determine if her decision would fit into God’s will. Yet both of them blamed someone else for their choices.
Being responsible for what we do is not always easy. When someone gives me wrong directions, I want to blame them that I got lost. When someone hurts me, I want to blame them for my angry reaction. If I goof up, I too easily look for a scapegoat, not wanting to bear the burden of my own mistakes. However, my husband says workers who make good impressions on a construction site are those who go to a superior and say, “I did not get the job done properly but am willing to try again... what kind of help can I get?”
Did Adam ever say, “I disobeyed You God... I not only failed to stop my wife from sin but entered into it with her... I am guilty, help me do the right thing”? Or did Eve say, “I made a horrible mistake, I wanted something that You told me I should not have... please forgive me, change my wants...”? We don’t know for sure but the Bible does tell us an amazing thing: when we say, “It is my fault...please help me...” God does a wonderful thing: He forgives our mistakes and removes our guilt, producing freedom and new life. Taking responsibility is worth it.
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