The Blame Game

Bible Reading: Genesis 3:9-13

Aria flipped open a small manual that had come with their new toaster and started reading. “Some of these warnings are funny!” she said to Mom. “Listen. ‘Do not put under water. Do not touch hot surfaces. Do not put fingers in slots.’ Anybody with any sense at all would know not to do those things. Why do they write them in the instructions?”

“They do seem pretty silly, but you might be surprised how many people would do some of those things,” replied Mom. “Then if the toaster breaks or they get hurt, they might blame the manufacturer if those warnings weren’t in the manual. Sometimes people even go to court and sue for a lot of money.”

“Even though it’s their own fault?” asked Aria’s brother Aidan.

Mom nodded. “It’s human nature to blame somebody else. Both Adam and Eve did it in the Garden of Eden, and people have been doing it ever since. Who do you think gets blamed more than anyone else?”

“I do!” declared Aidan.

“You do not,” said Aria.

“I’d say it’s God,” said Mom. “He often gets blamed for bad things that happen, even though it was Adam and Eve’s disobedience that brought sin into the world and made a mess of everything. Yet God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us from sin, and He gives us detailed instructions on how we should live, but people often ignore them. Then when something goes wrong because of something they did, they blame God even though they’re the ones who didn’t follow His instructions.”

“Like when Aidan fell out of his window and broke his leg trying to sneak out of the house when he was grounded last year,” said Aria.

“Hey!” said Aidan. “I didn’t blame anyone for my fall–I admitted it was my fault and accepted responsibility.” Aidan grinned at his sister. “And now I’m a model son.” Aria and Mom both laughed.

Mom picked up the toaster manual. “I’ll put this away for now, but God’s instructions to us shouldn’t be left in a drawer. Let’s all read something from our Bibles each day so we can remember what God has done for us and how He wants us to live. Instead of playing the blame game, we can confess our wrongs to Him and He will forgive us.”

–Heather Tekavec

How About You?
Do you accept responsibility for what you do? Or do you look for someone to blame when something goes wrong? Life is never free from pain or problems. Sometimes our difficulties come from living in a sinful, broken world, but other times they’re caused by our own wrongful actions. When you mess up, don’t play the blame game. Accept responsibility for your actions, remembering that God loves you and is always willing to forgive.

Today’s Key Verse:
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. (NLT)
(Proverbs 28:13)

Today’s Key Thought:
Accept responsibility