TEST: THE BLAME GAME
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
WHY IS BLAME SO DANGEROUS? REFUSAL TO ACCEPT CORRECTION AND REPENTANCE.
*BLAME: TO MISS THE MARK, to find fault, convict, condemn, to not accept responsibility,
BLAME ENTERED QUICKLY INTO THE HISTORY OF MAN…
Genesis 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 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.
Danger, a person that is good at the blaming game is usually good for nothing else.
BLAME AS A GAME?
Nero was the last of five emperors in Rome. Nero’s claim to fame is: FIDDLING WHILE ROME BURNED… Nero played the BLAME GAME… He could not understand the DECLINE and FALL of the Roman Empire. Nero blamed the Christians. His blame was so cruel he persecuted and killed thousands of Christians. Nero refused to see his heavy taxation, his demand for entertainment, his luxurious palace, his enslaving people, his following women as a problem. How did Nero’s blame game end? SUICIDE… he even failed at suicide. He had to seek assistance to commit suicide. NERO DIED AT 32 PLAYING THE BLAME GAME…
ARE YOU ACCOUNTABLE AND CORRECTABLE?
I taught at Elk Knob Elementary School in Woodway, Virginia. There was an aide that worked with a team of teachers. She was always an hour late. Always! At a teachers meeting one of the teachers that worked with this lady mentioned for two years this lady was one hour late every day for two years. The Principal responded that he never knew this and that it was not fair and he would correct this problem. The teacher that reported this problem asked to remain anonymous.
The Principal would float notes to inform the staff of issues. Each staff member would read, sign and pass the note to the next class room. Then the note made its way back to the office. My class room was about half way. The lady that was always late was in the next room. I read the note and passed it on. The note was simple and direct. The note said: IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN BEING ONE HOUR LATE FOR TWO YEARS AND IT BETTER STOP IMMEDIATELY. The Principal signed the note.
I left my room’s door open. I had a student carry the note to the next room. A few minutes later, this woman came running out of her room. There was fire in her eyes and smoke coming from her head. She ran into the office screaming: WHO TOLD ON ME? I DEMAND TO KNOW RIGHT NOW, WHO TOLD ON ME?
The Principal said the issue of tardiness, is this true or is it false? The lady was screaming: IT IS TRUE, BUT I WANT TO KNOW RIGHT NOW: WHO TOLD ON ME?
Her attitude was not this is true and I need to correct my tardiness. Her only concern was who told on me? Her behavior was not corrected. Later she lost her job… she was a BLAMER, she passed the buck. Her words and behavior missed the point of correction.
When a student fails the test we tend to blame the teacher or we blame the test is too hard? Why never mention the lazy student that didn’t complete the assignment? Perhaps it was the momma doing the homework while the child played games?
WE OFTEN TRY TO BLAME: LIFE IS NOT FAIR… WELL YOU ARE A SLOW LEARNER IF YOU JUST LEARNED LIFE IS NOT FAIR!
Genesis 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
MAKING EXCUSES IS A TYPE OF BLAMING OR PALLIATING YOUR PROBLEM… PEOPLE SEEM TO LIVE IN A “ME” GENERATION WHERE WE FOCUS ON ME, MYSELF AND I. ANGER GROWS FROM BLAMING OTHERS.
Genesis 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
THE BLAME GAME HAS TERRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS.
THERE IS A COMMON PRACTICE WHEN DEALING WITH BLAME: LET US BLAME THE VICTIM.
Victim blaming places the responsibility on the victim trying to excuse the guilty party. I drink and get drunk and mean, but it is my wife’s fault. She made me open the bottle? Another blame game is why did the victim not try to escape?
ENABLING SELDOM HELPS THE SITUATION… COULD ENABLING BE A TYPE OF BLAMING? DO WE BLAME THINGS ON THE PAST? PARENTS? EDUCATION? THE CHURCH?
Al-Anon claims 3 c’s… I DIDN’T CAUSE IT… I CAN’T CONTROL IT… I CAN’T CURE IT…
Samson could see better when he was blind. Samson laid in a barn, as an animal. He must have thought of his Mom and Dad. Samson cannot blame his mom and dad for his choices.
Judges 16:21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
BLAME MAY OFTEN FOCUS ON EXTERNAL ISSUES AND TOTALLY BYPASS INTERNAL ISSUES. HE WAS PRESSED BY NAGGING? YET, SAMSON HAS NOT ONE TO BLAME BUT HIMSELF.
Judges 16:16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;
AM I A PRODUCT OF MY DAILY CHOICES? WHY BLAME OTHERS FOR YOUR POOR CHOICES…
KILLING TIME? TIME AS WE KNOW IT IS A ONE WAY ARROW… TIME HAS A BEGINNING AND TIME HAS AN ENDING…
Many consider the ”END OF TIME” FEW LEARN DEATH CAN END TIME FOR US.
FEW EVER LEARN THE REAL VALUE OF TIME… SECONDS, MINUTES, HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS AND YEARS?
YOU CAN’T SEE TIME?
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
THERE IS A TIME TO QUIT BLAMING, CONFESS AND GO ON IN FORGIVENESS.
Genesis 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
GOD HAS A PLAN, TRUST THE PLAN… BE QUICK TO FORGIVE.
Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
DON’T BLAME, KISS AND MAKE UP…
Genesis 45:15 Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.
CONCLUSION: The blame game is a very dangerous game to play. To blame others and offer excuses will always lead to anger, wrath and vengeance. Accept responsibility for your words, attitudes and behavior. Quit enabling others by believing their excuses. Hold yourself accountable. Correction by others is good, but know SELF-CORRECTION is best.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Those that blame and excuse their actions, WILL ALSO ACCUSE THEMSELVES.
