Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Whose Fault Is It?
This morning I was called upon to chat with a fifth grader who was caught swinging on the bathroom door of our school. This is his fifth trip to the school office in the last week, twice yesterday, and this morning he was there by 9:30, school starts at 8:30...what's wrong with this picture? When I asked him why he was swinging on the bathroom door his reply was that there was another smaller child doing it and it looked like fun. the feeling I got as I listened to this young man was that it was probably the schools fault that he was in trouble...we have bathrooms! If we didn't have bathrooms, and a school with children he wouldn't have had to swing on the door, get caught by a teacher, sent to the office, chat with the Chancellor, or write 200 hundred sentences...it's all our fault...He didn't say that...but you get the picture.
So after dealing with all of this I get online to read CNN and do a survey poll, my morning ritual, only to find that now it's the Speaker of the House's fault that Florida's Mark Foley wrote perverted emails to an underage page...He knew about this and should have dealt with, so now he should resign...before it's over it will be someone else's fault and they should resign too! Foley has been quoted as saying that he was molested by a clergyman when he was a child, so now it's that preacher's fault that he was sending nasty notes...Where does this stuff end?
The Bible says that one day we will give an account of what we have done, both good and bad, can you imagine what some people are going to say? Can you imagine standing before God with Him asking why I lied, cheated and stole, and replying, "My first grade teacher used to tap me on the head with an ink pen, it broke my concentration, and now I abhor all authority!"
We are responsible for our actions!The Apostle Peter said it this way: "Don't easily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. you didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God!" (I Peter 1, The Message)
The devil didn't make me do it, a lack of attention from my parents doesn't make me do it...I am responsible! Just thinking out loud!

4 comments:

Pastor Jeff said...

Neil, you are absolutely correct. We live in a society nowadays that wants to get rid of personal responsibility. The alcoholic isn't responsible for his drinking, the druggie isn't either. I heard recently that even "road rage" is viewed by some as being a condition some poor angry soul has, therefore isn't responsible for his/her actions. When will we stand up and take responsibility for our actions?

Darrell said...

Yep, that's what I keep saying. No one takes responsiblilty for their own actions at all anymore. I mean, for heaven's sake, when a woman stops coming to church because the pastor did not shake her hand. I'm sure that one will hold water with the Lord when she stands before him. We live in a society were everyone is the victim. Funny... I thought God's Word says we are the victors, not the victims. Isn't that what it says? I thought over-comers are ones who actually overcame something.

I'd better shut up... this is a personal pet peeve of mine!

ruthrap said...

yer right, Pastor, and you too, Pastor Neil...when are people ever going to stop playing the blame game? Some of your examples are hilariously rediculous, but it's not hard to believe that people actually use them to justify their own mistakes!

Jesse said...

You mean I'm responsible for my actions? My sin? And to think I was going to use the "devil made me do it" defense once I got to heaven! But if I don't get there I'll be sure to blame somebody, after all, my mistakes can't possibly be mine, I mean somebody had to be at fault. I'm being sarcastic of course...I've made it a habit of reminding people to quit blaming everybody else, they will answer for their own actions when they stand before God. And there will be no finger pointing then!