October 11th, 2024
Friday, October 11th
Don’t Point the Finger
By: Pastor Todd
“The man said, "The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Genesis 3:12-13 (NIV)
Here’s a challenge for you. Walk into a room with a broken vase and five children and try to figure out who’s the guilty party. Fingers will point faster than you can say “Whodunnit?”
That was exactly the way Adam and Eve reacted when God asked them if they had disobeyed his commands. Instead of, “yes, I am guilty” or “please forgive me” they both pointed the finger at someone else. I don’t pretend to know how differently God might have reacted had they taken ownership for their own actions, but I know their passing of blame didn’t work out well at all.
It doesn’t for us either. When we are caught in our own mistakes, sin, or disobedience we must take responsibility for our words and actions. Otherwise, we try to justify ourselves and never learn from our errors. That’s unhelpful. It’s one thing to make a mistake, but another completely to learn nothing from it.
The next time God, or your mother, catches you in doing wrong - own it. From there, repentance and forgiveness are not far behind.
Don’t Point the Finger
By: Pastor Todd
“The man said, "The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Genesis 3:12-13 (NIV)
Here’s a challenge for you. Walk into a room with a broken vase and five children and try to figure out who’s the guilty party. Fingers will point faster than you can say “Whodunnit?”
That was exactly the way Adam and Eve reacted when God asked them if they had disobeyed his commands. Instead of, “yes, I am guilty” or “please forgive me” they both pointed the finger at someone else. I don’t pretend to know how differently God might have reacted had they taken ownership for their own actions, but I know their passing of blame didn’t work out well at all.
It doesn’t for us either. When we are caught in our own mistakes, sin, or disobedience we must take responsibility for our words and actions. Otherwise, we try to justify ourselves and never learn from our errors. That’s unhelpful. It’s one thing to make a mistake, but another completely to learn nothing from it.
The next time God, or your mother, catches you in doing wrong - own it. From there, repentance and forgiveness are not far behind.
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