Who Do You Blame?

WHO DO YOU BLAME?

Holding someone else accountable for the bad things that happen to us seems to come naturally. It’s a trait as old as the story of Adam and Eve.

The first three chapters of Genesis show that living in beautiful surroundings did not make them perfect.  Caught in personal acts of disobedience to God’s directives, they placed blame outside themselves.

Eve blamed the Serpent and Adam blamed Eve. But another early example of this trait appears in the story of Joseph.

Blame and Consequences  

Sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph was a trustworthy servant in the house of Potiphar. This man’s wife lusted after Joseph and tried repeatedly to seduce him. Joseph resisted her advances because he believed sleeping with his master’s wife would be a sin against God (Genesis 39:9).

One day she grabbed his cloak with her entreaty. Joseph pulled out of the cloak and left the house. As she was standing there holding his garment, Potiphar’s wife angrily decided to cast blame on Joseph (Genesis 39:13-20).

Her blame game caused him to spend many years in prison. He could have become bitter, but he remained true to God and God remained true to him (Genesis 41:38-40).

Who Plays? 

People in all walks of life play the blame game. We see it in popular magazines, television and other media. No one, rich or poor, rushes to say, “I came up with that plan. I made the decision. I deserve the consequences.”  

People seem to follow in Adam and Eve’s footsteps. They make wrong decisions, judgments or plans, then blame others when things go wrong.

One of the others to get blamed is God. The New International Version explains it this way: A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord (Proverbs 19:3). Blaming God is nothing new.

In my years of pastoral ministry, I talked with many people who were frustrated by troubles in their lives. Very few came ready to admit their problems were a result of personal decisions. Remember, we are not talking legitimate victimization here. That is another matter entirely. We are talking “personal decisions.”

Have you ever noticed how when a person is wrong and won’t admit it they get angry? It’s a way to avoid facing the issue, a cover up or part of the blame game.

Avoid Being a Game Player 

People tend to think humility shows weakness, but the truth is that pride brings a man low (Proverbs 29:23). James said, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” He also said, “Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up” (James 4:8, 10).

Consider James’ advice and avoid the blame game. It takes courage to say, “I was wrong,” but it’s a personal step that can only be taken by you.