Peppermint Patty says to Charlie Brown, “Guess what, Chuck? Today was the first day of school, and I got sent to the principal’s office. It was your fault, Chuck.”
Charlie Brown responds, “My fault? How could it be my fault? Why do you say everything is my fault?”
Peppermint Patty replies, “You’re my friend, aren’t you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on me.”
Sound familiar? Our culture sounds a lot like Peppermint Patty in this story. When a person makes a mistake, the most common reaction is to say, “It’s not my fault!” When two kids are caught standing next to a broken vase, how many times do they both instantly point at each other and say, “He did it?” Blame is one of the most common defense mechanisms we have. We do not like to be wrong and we certainly do not enjoy admitting that we are.
God expects us to take responsibility for our mistakes. He expects us to place the blame right where it belongs: on ourselves. We have been commanded by God to confess our sins, both to Him and to one another. Confessing our sins and taking responsibility for them go hand-in-hand. You cannot confess a sin to God saying, “Lord forgive so-and-so for this sin I have committed, because after all it is their fault; not mine.” A true confession requires that we take full responsibility for our actions. Confession sounds like this: “Have mercy on me, O God … for I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…” Psalm 51:1,4.
God doesn’t play the blame game. We must be willing take responsibility for our own actions, whether good or bad.
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