TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord. (Proverbs 19:3 ESV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Today, many of us continue to feel the effects of one less hour of sleep… It hurts and feels painfully unnecessary. As we collectively hold our coffee cups like security blankets and whine about the unfairness of being sleep deprived… and the stupidity of Daylight Savings Time… we face Monday, convinced that our exhaustion is due to an antiquated tradition that Congress should eliminate. It’s the system’s fault we’re so tired, right?!?
But what about all the times when we lose an hour (or more!) of sleep because of our own choices? I may be tired, but I never make as big a production of being sleep-deprived as I do when it’s DLST. It’s easier to blame DLST than admit that I didn’t go to bed an hour earlier to make up the difference.
Why is that? Could it be that it’s easier to complain and blame than it is to own our responsibilities?
In Proverbs 19:3, it says, “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.” Why on earth would someone mess up and then blame God? Friends, it’s a strategy mankind has employed since Adam and Eve.
When God confronted Adam about eating the fruit, Adam responded, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12). Adam messed up and then tried to blame God by redirecting the focus—“the woman whom YOU gave…” The logic is inane: God made man. God created woman from man’s rib. God said don’t eat the fruit. Woman disobeyed, ate the fruit, and offered it to the man. Man disobeyed too, ate the fruit, and blamed God. Because God created the woman in the first place and she started the whole thing!
Crazy!
It’s hard to be honest with ourselves. It’s hard to point the fingers of blame inward. It’s so much better to blame others. We may be influenced or coerced… But I imagine if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll find that blame for our behavior lies squarely in our own doorstep.
Blaming God isn’t effective, wise, or even correct. He’s perfect and no matter what challenges and obstacles we face, His plan is always good and perfect. But we certainly can’t sin and then blame God. “He made me this way!” It’s a weak defense that wreaks of nasally whining.
Part of repenting is accepting responsibility for our own actions. Understanding that we can’t use excuses for our sinful behaviors. God’s not going excuse sin for any reason. But He will always hear and accept a repentant heart that seeks to turn from sin (Acts 3:19, Romans 2:4).
Today, as you pray, thank God for His forgiveness! Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be truthful to yourself… ask Him to help you accept responsibility for your sins so that you can confess them quickly, without excuse or blame. Ask Him to help you recognize unresolved sins in your life that need to be confessed.
SHARING ••• Please share with others! Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. Download a free Bible-In-A-Year Reading Plan when you subscribe! Join an online prayer group at www.facebook.com/groups/onlineandonourkneesprayergroup. ***Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture references are from the ESV translation.
