He bit into it and just before he can savor the taste, he realized what he had done. He looked at his wife and noticed something different. We’re naked! They grabbed some leaves to cover themselves. Then, they heard rustling. Oh No! God is walking around in the Garden. HIDE!
Oh Adam! Where are you? God called. Um, well you see I heard you coming and I was naked so I hid, Adam said. Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I told you NOT to eat from? God asked. Well, the woman YOU gave me made me do it, he replied. Woman, what did you do? God asked. The serpent made me do it, she replied.
Every time I read this story in Genesis 3:1-24, I crack up! It isn’t a great story because sin entered the world. However, when reading this chapter, I realize how stupid we are when we sin. God specifically told them not to eat from this one tree, but they just had to have some. What kills me is when God came by, they went hiding like he doesn’t see them.
Did they really think they can hide from God? Then, when they finally answered Him, they each started to point fingers at one another. Why is the blame game our first thought when we sin?
As Christians, we must get to a point in our lives where we learn to take responsibility for our actions. Some folks can never see the part that they had to play in a situation. All they can see is that someone else did them wrong.
One of my closest friends told me once, “You can’t control the actions of others, but you surely can control your reaction.”
He’s right! No matter what someone does or says to you, you have the power to control your response. It’s part of that Free Will thing God gave us that separates us from the animals. I had my own personal struggle with this. I always seemed to find a way to blame someone else. It was never my fault. Of course not! I am a saint. NOT!
I soon learned that the issue wasn’t always with the other party; sometimes I was just as guilty as they were. Taking responsibility for your actions is a sign of spiritual maturity. We must learn to take stock of ourselves and correct the character flaws that are keeping us from being who God wants us to be.
This year as you create your Life Resolutions, make a decision to take responsibility for your actions. Don’t be quick to blame others for everything that goes on in your life. We serve a God that can change any situation.
All you have to do is acknowledge your fault and turn the situation over to God. What would have happened if instead of playing the blame game, Adam and Eve confessed their sin, admitted their wrong and asked for forgiveness? We may never know, but we can learn from their mistakes and make the necessary changes in our lives.
Memory Verse:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
– 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
Prayer Prompt:
“Lord, help me to take responsibility for my actions like and confess when I have done wrong. Please teach me how to stop playing the blame game, so I can learn from my mistakes and be transformed from the inside out….”
Contributing Writer:
Rachel Ineus
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