Who’s to Blame?
October 2, 2015
Matthew 12:34b-35 “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart.”
Have you ever blamed someone else for something you did? God’s people have made a tradition of blaming others. This shouldn’t surprise us because this practice started at the very beginning. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sin and when confronted by God they blame someone else. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the snake. We do the same thing. We justify our road rage because the street is filled with “bad drivers.” We excuse our impatience because the lines were too long or the service was too slow. We rationalize our jealousy and insecurity because it’s obvious that we deserved the promotion and not the other person. Part of the issue here is that there is a hint of truth in each of these justifications, enough truth to keep us from looking at our own selves. The real truth is that sin originates in you. Circumstances can certainly play a role, but the choice to sin is our own. The bad driver makes you angry, but the anger is already in your heart. The service may be slow and you may have deserved the promotion, but the impatience and pride are inside of you. Circumstances bring to surface what already dwells in our hearts. No one can provoke inside of you what does not originate there. Every human heart (including my own) needs sanctifying. We need God’s grace to change us. We really should thank God for the person (or circumstance) that exposes our sinful tendencies. That person reveals what’s really in our heart and shows us areas where we still need to grow. Only by seeing our true selves and seeking God’s grace can we begin to change. Blaming someone else may make us feel better, but it won’t solve the real problem.
Have you ever blamed someone else for something you did? God’s people have made a tradition of blaming others. This shouldn’t surprise us because this practice started at the very beginning. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sin and when confronted by God they blame someone else. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the snake. We do the same thing. We justify our road rage because the street is filled with “bad drivers.” We excuse our impatience because the lines were too long or the service was too slow. We rationalize our jealousy and insecurity because it’s obvious that we deserved the promotion and not the other person. Part of the issue here is that there is a hint of truth in each of these justifications, enough truth to keep us from looking at our own selves. The real truth is that sin originates in you. Circumstances can certainly play a role, but the choice to sin is our own. The bad driver makes you angry, but the anger is already in your heart. The service may be slow and you may have deserved the promotion, but the impatience and pride are inside of you. Circumstances bring to surface what already dwells in our hearts. No one can provoke inside of you what does not originate there. Every human heart (including my own) needs sanctifying. We need God’s grace to change us. We really should thank God for the person (or circumstance) that exposes our sinful tendencies. That person reveals what’s really in our heart and shows us areas where we still need to grow. Only by seeing our true selves and seeking God’s grace can we begin to change. Blaming someone else may make us feel better, but it won’t solve the real problem.
– Rev. Brandon Dasinger
Thank you for this powerful word Brandon! Praying for God’s grace to do some housecleaning within, and purify my soul!