On TAKING responsibility

 

Proverbs 29:23

King James Version

23 A man's pride shall bring him low: 

but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

What does man normally do, when things go wrong?

We blame others.

No one wants to take responsibility.

We don't have the courage to own our mistakes.

And that's the first mistake.

We cannot correct self, unless we accept our mistakes.

We cannot get better, unless we are humble enough to accept we were in the wrong.

That we've been duped, because we'd been asleep at the wheel.

That we've hurt others, because we did not care, or did not care to know.

As there are billions of people, there can be billions of excuses.

Consider these stock answers:

"Where's your homework?"

"The dog ate it."

"You're late!"

"Traffic."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't have the heart to tell you."

Now, I didn't mean to laugh.

But the funniest of them all was what I found in the Bible today.

It truly reflects man's nature.

GOD asked Adam:

Genesis 3:9-11

King James Version

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, 

and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, 

I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, 

because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, 

Who told thee that thou wast naked? 

Hast thou eaten of the tree, 

whereof I commanded thee 

that thou shouldest not eat?

(Can you imagine Adam trembling by now?)

Adam answers:

Genesis 3:12

King James Version

12 And the man said, 

The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, 

she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Then, GOD asks woman:

Genesis 3:13

King James Version

13a And the Lord God said unto the woman, 

What is this that thou hast done? 

The woman answers:

Genesis 3:13

King James Version

13b And the woman said, 

The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

It's always someone else's fault.

As if we have no control over our emotions.

As if we cannot think for ourselves.

As if we have handy scapegoats.

But I noticed something.

GOD did not question the serpent.

He did not ask: 

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Surely, the LORD knew the nature of the perpetrator traitor.

The once beautiful cherub fell from heaven.

Nothing good can come from him.

JESUS did tell the Pharisees :

John 8:44-45

King James Version

44 Ye are of your father the devil, 

and the lusts of your father ye will do. 

He was a murderer from the beginning, 

and abode not in the truth, 

because there is no truth in him. 

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: 

for he is a liar, and the father of it.

That old serpent got what was coming to him.

Genesis 3:14-15

King James Version

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, 

Because thou hast done this, 

thou art cursed above all cattle, 

and above every beast of the field; 

upon thy belly shalt thou go, 

and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee 

and the woman, 

and between thy seed and her seed; 

it shall bruise thy head, 

and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Man, and woman, got judgment from GOD, too.

But what about you?

What do you do when you feel you've done something wrong?

What do you do when you believe you've wronged a person?

What do you do when you've failed to do something?

Do you ask for forgiveness?

Do you try to make amends?

Do you accept your error?

Are you even aware of your errors?

Or do you do what Adam, and Eve, did?

"She dunnit."

"Serpent dunnit."

Related material:

Sin AWARENESS

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