Early in the history of the human race, people began to avoid accepting the blame for their sins. Adam, the first man God created, disobeyed God’s command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When God asked Adam if he had eaten of the tree, Adam should have replied simply and truthfully, “Yes, I did.” Instead, he said, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12). Eve also made an excuse. “And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” (verse 13).
We usually enter the game of shifting blame from ourselves to someone or something else without realizing who created the game and whose rules it is played by. Satan himself is its designer and creator! Throughout the history of the world, Satan has enticed people to enter the game with the hope of winning an advantage for themselves. This is never the outcome!
Was Adam trying to shift the blame for his disobedience onto God by insinuating it was God’s fault by giving him the woman? Did he believe that because Eve gave him the fruit, he was not guilty for eating it? These points show how foolish it is to play the blame game and the lack of logic that follows. It is an escape route we are tempted to follow when faced with the truth about ourselves. In God’s eyes, the sin of the blame game is avoiding the truth. The Spirit of God will always lead us to accept and honestly own our sin, the sooner the better.
Satan tempts us to play the game to lead us deeper into sin and its entanglements. He tries to ease our troubled conscience and comfort us with the false hope that someone else will bear our blame. Satan desperately tries to keep us from facing sin for what it is—disobedience to God. He knows how effective the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in clearing the conscience of guilt and giving us joy and peace.
The aim of the enemy is to keep us in a dark, confusing maze of trying to assess who or what is the cause of my problems. Secular counseling often examines one’s past with great detail, looking for someone or something to blame. Injustices or abuse are often blamed as the cause of our problems. This results in a victim mentality, making it very difficult to see past unfortunate circumstances and admit that I am personally responsible for my reactions. For example, if I refuse to forgive someone for a wrong done to me, it is hard to accept the fact that God will judge me for my unforgiveness. I may feel that I have the right to withhold forgiveness. Jesus taught in the Lord’s Prayer that if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven by God for our sins (Matthew 6:12).
Playing the blame game leads to negative reactions to the situations we encounter. A Christian should not react negatively, but rather act according to the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we take up the blame game, we lose our sense of direction with the thought, “They got what they had coming!” We must leave the judgment of others and the dark chapters of our lives in the hands of an all-knowing God.
The current, prevailing sense of entitlement is a great advantage to Satan’s blame game. People clamor for their rights in many areas of their lives. They feel entitled to control their lives, including the “right” to avoid the consequences of their actions. This is due to a loss of the fear of God. All rights belong to God our Creator.
Accepting responsibility for wrongdoing must be diligently taught to children. Unfortunately, today’s generation shows a noticeable departure from these truths. The result is the chaos found everywhere—in homes, schools, the workplace, and beyond. How does one effectively teach this principle? It is taught by the example of the parents. Blessed are children whose parents own their mistakes, accept the consequences, and make needed restitution.
Children must learn that it pays to be honest, and that excuses and blame-shifting are wrong. Wise parents will approach their children with love and quiet hearts, teaching them not to blame others. Our heavenly Father deals with us in a wonderful way that reveals our guilt, and at the same time offers the remedy of forgiveness.
The Bible account (2 Samuel 11, 12) of King David accepting his blame before God for his sin of adultery shows the way to forgiveness and clearing of guilt. His honest confession in Psalm 51 touched the mercies of a tender-hearted God, and David became a true winner! Jesus Christ, our perfect example, took upon Himself the blame for all of our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). He did it because of love and pity for our lost condition. Our sins were not his fault, but He bore them to Calvary and suffered the wrath of God in our place. After all Jesus has done for us, is it too much for us to accept the blame that is rightfully ours?
Have you been playing the blame game in your life? Have you been side-stepping responsibility for your attitudes, words, and actions? You will be the loser! No one plays this game with the devil and wins. True peace and joy will be yours if you humble yourself and admit your guilt, taking it to Jesus for the full pardon offered by a loving heavenly Father!