Who Me? Couldn't Be!

“Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?  YOU stole the cookie from the cookie jar!  Who me?  Yes you!  Couldn't be!  Then who?”  Remember that old game from elementary school?  Funny thing is no one will take “credit” for taking the cookie from the cookie jar, because we don’t like to admit we’re wrong, we don’t like to be found guilty; it is always someone else’s fault.  

When my children were little no matter what happened or who did what, somehow it always seemed to be one of the other one of my children’s fault.  In fact, one of my kids even went so far as to say that it was his brother's fault that he hit the ball over the fence and broke the window because he pitched it in such a way that the ball would go over the fence no matter what!  He was dead serious!

Of course Adam and Eve placed the blame on someone else even though they knew that God was all knowing and all seeing!  And…they still tried to hide and cover themselves – seems ridiculous, doesn't it?  Yet, that is what we all do at one time or another.  We try to rid ourselves of guilt by finding someone else to blame.  Today’s society feeds that character flaw by giving everyone an excuse for what they do and someone else to blame for all of our problems!  That is not a healthy attitude and it is a very dangerous one as well.

One of the greatest things we can teach our children is individual responsibility.  It is our nature to always want to blame someone or something else for the things that happen to us that we don’t like.  Oh, but we’re oh so quick to take full credit for any good that we do.  Pride is at the root of that problem, and boy, are we all full of pride.  And while it is true that we may be the recipient of another’s cruelty, we do not have to respond in kind!

If we as parents can teach our children to take responsibility for their own actions we will save everyone from a multitude of heartache.   One of the biggest problems with always placing the blame on others for our actions is that it leaves us as constant victims!  The truth is that though others may wrong me, I am still responsible for my response. 

When God allows difficulties in our lives it is for our making, not our breaking!  

Hebrews 5:8 teaches,  “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;”

1 Peter 5:10 further explains, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

1 Peter 2:21 & 23 also shows us what we should do… “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps… Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”

If we can learn ourselves and teach our children to commit ourselves to “him that judgeth righteously” as Jesus did, we’ll focus on what we do rather than what they did!   I know for myself and my children I would much prefer someone learning obedience that is complete, established, strong, and settled than   constantly being a victim!  “As for God, his way is perfect” commit yourself to Him today – He will judge righteously!

Have a wonderful day!