Presbyterian Devotions: The Blame Game

Genesis 3:12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

I call it the “blame game.” You know about it, too. Someone does something diabolically wicked and it’s reported in the newspaper. The evidence is there and enough witnesses come forward to make the conviction stand. And then we read about parents, relatives, and friends who sobbingly declare that their child would never do this, or that the police have framed him, or that the System (whatever that is) is to blame. In other words, the wicked event – a murder, a rape, or an armed robbery – all took place by itself. And even though the evidence and witnesses clearly point to his or her guilt, the perpetrator is surely not to blame.

I’ve also seen it happen with drug addicts and alcoholics. I’ve sadly watched them ruin their lives, lose their jobs, and sever themselves from their families and friends. Despite all of these unfortunate things, the addict still mistakenly believes that someone else is to blame.

It’s a sad part of the human condition which has been with us since the very beginning. In the Garden of Eden, God discovers that Adam and Eve have eaten the forbidden fruit. When God questions the couple, Adam blames Eve (and also God for making her). Eve blames the serpent. No one is willing to stand up and say, “God, I cannot tell a lie. It was me.” They don’t even say that they are sorry.

Left to ourselves, human beings can be highly irresponsible and totally unrepentant. But through the mercy of God, the Holy Spirit sometimes afflicts and convicts us of our mistakes. When that happens we have two simple choices: we can go on thinking that we’re not to blame, or we can come to Christ’s Cross and ask Him to hear our confessions. If we approach Him sincerely, He will cancel our sins. We will be at last freed from the “Blame Game” and received into the Light of Christ.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to name our shame and impart from our hearts the failures, mistakes, and blame for the sins we have committed, the relationships we have ruined, and the wrongs we have done. Grant us the courage to make things right with You and with those we have hurt, disappointed, or decried. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.