Reading: Jeremiah 24, 25
My Verse: "You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear,
although the LORD persistently sent to you
all his servants, saying,
"Turn now, every one of you,
from your evil deeds . . .
Do not go after other gods to serve and worship,
or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands.
Then I will do you no harm.
Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD,
that you might provoke me to anger
with the work of your hands
to your own harm" (Jeremiah 25:4 - 7).
How we love the blame game! It is always so much easier to look to someone else, some event or circumstance to point at as the cause of our own mistakes, our own failures. While there is something to that we are still responsible for our own sin. We each of us choose to do those things that we know are not right and we always know exactly what we are doing. Then when we are caught in our wrong we scramble to find a "reason" for why we did that. Yet it is our own doing - the "work of [our own] hands" that cause our downfall. "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire" (James 1:14 ESV).
Placing blame elsewhere is something we do so very well. In an article I read on this the author pointed our a reason for this behavior.
"Unfortunately, blame is like anger in that it dulls one's sense of empathy. It allows a person to act in a hurtful way to another human being. It isn't the act itself, but it often clears the road. This is a small, but important point. Ordinary humans have inhibitions that serve as a buffer against what we know is bad behavior. Blame is not the act itself, but it either erodes or outright removes these inhibitions, often both. It develops a thought patten that allows the person's emotions to override his/her self-control in order to achieve an often selfish end -- including sustaining dysfunctional patterns."
The article goes into great depth on the stages and variations of this use of blame, it basically shows how this behavior leads one slowly and steadily downhill as do all things we do that are against Your teaching and precepts, LORD God.
Another thing people do to make it easier for themselves to engage in that which they know is wrong is to rationalize. It really is quite amazing how one can rationalize pretty much anything. Rationalizing helps us to justify our bad behavior. It somehow makes us feel like we are owed or entitled to do this wrong thing. An article on this pointed out that "The people who rationalize the most have the most tedious, frustrating and unfulfilling lives." It went on to point out how people that do this often start to lose their sense of reality, and begin to actually believe themselves and are blinded to truth and the obvious consequences of what they are doing. Rationalizing is basically simply making excuses - and one can get pretty good at it!
You point out here, LORD God, that we "provoke [you] to anger with the work of [our] own hands to [our] own harm."
We each of us must give an accounting for the choices we make.
"For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God;
for it is written,
"As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God."
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God" (Romans 14:10-12).
Many look to you in fear, LORD God. And that because they know in their heart of hearts that You are righteous and holy. You cannot abide sin. You are love and do all that You can to bring us to you but in the end we each need to make that decision ourselves. In the end we are responsible for our own harm when we receive your final judgement and punishment.
Thank You for Your Word, for your truth and instruction written not only in the Bible but upon every part of creation! (Romans 1:20)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear,
although the LORD persistently sent to you
all his servants, saying,
"Turn now, every one of you,
from your evil deeds . . .
Do not go after other gods to serve and worship,
or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands.
Then I will do you no harm.
Yet you have not listened to me, declares the LORD,
that you might provoke me to anger
with the work of your hands
to your own harm" (Jeremiah 25:4 - 7).
How we love the blame game! It is always so much easier to look to someone else, some event or circumstance to point at as the cause of our own mistakes, our own failures. While there is something to that we are still responsible for our own sin. We each of us choose to do those things that we know are not right and we always know exactly what we are doing. Then when we are caught in our wrong we scramble to find a "reason" for why we did that. Yet it is our own doing - the "work of [our own] hands" that cause our downfall. "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire" (James 1:14 ESV).
Placing blame elsewhere is something we do so very well. In an article I read on this the author pointed our a reason for this behavior.
"Unfortunately, blame is like anger in that it dulls one's sense of empathy. It allows a person to act in a hurtful way to another human being. It isn't the act itself, but it often clears the road. This is a small, but important point. Ordinary humans have inhibitions that serve as a buffer against what we know is bad behavior. Blame is not the act itself, but it either erodes or outright removes these inhibitions, often both. It develops a thought patten that allows the person's emotions to override his/her self-control in order to achieve an often selfish end -- including sustaining dysfunctional patterns."
The article goes into great depth on the stages and variations of this use of blame, it basically shows how this behavior leads one slowly and steadily downhill as do all things we do that are against Your teaching and precepts, LORD God.
Another thing people do to make it easier for themselves to engage in that which they know is wrong is to rationalize. It really is quite amazing how one can rationalize pretty much anything. Rationalizing helps us to justify our bad behavior. It somehow makes us feel like we are owed or entitled to do this wrong thing. An article on this pointed out that "The people who rationalize the most have the most tedious, frustrating and unfulfilling lives." It went on to point out how people that do this often start to lose their sense of reality, and begin to actually believe themselves and are blinded to truth and the obvious consequences of what they are doing. Rationalizing is basically simply making excuses - and one can get pretty good at it!
You point out here, LORD God, that we "provoke [you] to anger with the work of [our] own hands to [our] own harm."
We each of us must give an accounting for the choices we make.
"For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God;
for it is written,
"As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God."
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God" (Romans 14:10-12).
Many look to you in fear, LORD God. And that because they know in their heart of hearts that You are righteous and holy. You cannot abide sin. You are love and do all that You can to bring us to you but in the end we each need to make that decision ourselves. In the end we are responsible for our own harm when we receive your final judgement and punishment.
Thank You for Your Word, for your truth and instruction written not only in the Bible but upon every part of creation! (Romans 1:20)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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