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Note: This is a repeat of a devotion sent on 13 January, 2006
THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT
The man said, "The woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Genesis 3:12-13
When Adam and Eve were confronted with their sin, what was the first thing they did? Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. Neither one of them was willing to take responsibility for sin. Eve didn't have to listen to the serpent. She could have told him to take a hike. But she didn't. So she said the serpent had deceived her. And good old Adam was quite a man. Here he was supposedly the head of the first human household, the one responsible for everything that happened in his family. And what did he do? He blamed his wife! Sound familiar?
"I couldn't help it. If my wife understood me, I would never have looked at another woman." "If my boss would pay me more, I wouldn't have to cheat on my expense account." "If I'm going to be competitive in the industry, I have to do business like my competitors. I don't like cheating on the weights, but what else can I do?" "How else am I supposed to hold onto a man? If I don't put out I'll never have anyone."
"He was an abused child. That's why he treats his children that way." "It's not his fault he's violent. Look at where he grew up." "She can't help having a problem with relationships. Her parents were divorced, you know." "I always expected him to turn out to be an alcoholic. His parents drink all the time." "Of course he's gay. He can't help it. They say it's genetic." "She had a traumatic childhood. Her parents controlled her too much. That's why she acts the way she does." "Everyone was cheating, I couldn't remain alone."
No matter what the situation, our society is rampant with passing the blame. The idea that "the buck stops here" went out the window long ago. As if we aren't capable of dreaming up enough excuses ourselves, psychologists are doggedly coming up with one "disease" or "condition" after another, giving people more and more excuses for their behaviour. And when we get done blaming our parents, our children, our bosses, society, and any appropriate new psychological condition.... when all of the other excuses run out, we say, "the devil made me do it". Anything - anything we can think of to avoid taking the blame ourselves.
But just as with Adam and Eve, the buck not only stops with us - it starts with us. With you and me. You and I are the only ones responsible for our own actions. No one else on earth is to blame... not even Satan. Oh, sure, he is the creator of every kind of sin, and he is the one who puts the temptations in front of us. But you and I are the ones who step into the temptation and grab hold of it with both hands.
Stop passing the buck in your own life. No matter who you are, what you do about your problems, how you react to temptation, every action you take is your own responsibility. The moment you figure that out... the moment you accept your responsibility for your actions... finally, you are headed straight for the healing that God wants you to have. Think about it and pass it to your neighbours so that they should not be caught in this same act.
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