““Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”” (Genesis 3:11–13, NLT)
In Discipleship Journal, Don McCullough wrote: "John Killinger tells about the manager of a minor league baseball team who was so disgusted with his center fielder's performance that he ordered him to the dugout and assumed the position himself. The first ball that came into center field took a bad hop and hit the manager in the mouth. The next one was a high fly ball, which he lost in the glare of the sun--until it bounced off his forehead. The third was a tough line drive that he charged with outstretched arms; unfortunately, it flew between is hands and smacked his eye. Furious, he ran back to the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by the uniform, and shouted. 'You idiot! You've got center field so messed up that even I can't do a thing with it!’” (Don McCullough, “Discipleship Journal Magazine”) This humorous occurrence displays wonderfully the lengths some people will go to blame another for their own failure.
In our scripture for today from Genesis 3, there’s a lot of blaming going on as well! When Adam and Eve had covered their nakedness as if they were ashamed, God knew they had sinned. This was the inevitable result of eating of the tree in the Garden which God had commanded them not to eat. Upon seeing their shame, God asked Adam if he had eaten the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:11). Adam’s reply was classic blame: “the woman you gave me … gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12). This shifts the blame to Eve AND to God. If you look at Adam’s response, he is even saying that if God hadn’t put Eve in his life, he wouldn’t have sinned! As if God was the guilty party! As if Adam had not sinned by his own choice! As if Adam didn’t know that fruit was forbidden! Eve played the same blame game. She didn’t blame God. Instead, she blamed Satan by saying, “the serpent deceived me!” (Genesis 3:13). Both Adam and Eve tried to shift the blame for their sin to someone else. That’s a common response for many people. They do not take responsibility for their sin. They blame someone else for the mistake or failure. That’s not how God sees it. God knows when you are to blame. Adam and Eve were punished for their sin. Their blame didn’t help at all!
It is very common for people to blame others when they sin or fail or falter. It is almost a “go-to” for some people. It’s what they do best. When you try to shift the blame for your own sin to another, you are essentially trying to get out of the punishment, transfer the guilt, get someone else to shoulder the responsibility. When you do this, it won’t help you at all. It won’t help your relationship with God. It won’t stop the punishment or inevitable fallout. You may think it helps, but it won’t.
I have met with many people in counseling who tried to shift the blame for their sin or failure upon someone else. A wife may blame her husband for marriage problems, without seeing her own responsibility in their relationship decline. A teen may blame his friend for getting into trouble. A person might try to blame the circumstances or temptations for a spiritual fall or moral infidelity. You will never make things better by blaming. You won’t take responsibility or face the consequences or move toward repentance if you shift blame. If you do this, healing may not occur, forgiveness may never happen, your relationship with God or another may be irrevocably damaged.
Shifting the blame did not help Adam and Eve in the least. It only displayed an all-too-common method of playing the blame game in the psychology of humans. I implore you to refrain from shifting blame when you sin or fail or make a mistake. It is always best to face the consequences and move on. I have found that those who shift blame are prone to lying, deception, and more guilt. Shifting the blame can blunt the healing effect of repentance and forgiveness and reconciliation.
It takes a true Christian to face the consequences of his or her actions. Righteousness demands you not blame others for your own misdeeds. Some Christians have fallen from grace because of their inability to take responsibility for failure. Don’t be counted among those who have failed God through shifting the blame. It won’t end well.
In our scripture for today from Genesis 3, there’s a lot of blaming going on as well! When Adam and Eve had covered their nakedness as if they were ashamed, God knew they had sinned. This was the inevitable result of eating of the tree in the Garden which God had commanded them not to eat. Upon seeing their shame, God asked Adam if he had eaten the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:11). Adam’s reply was classic blame: “the woman you gave me … gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12). This shifts the blame to Eve AND to God. If you look at Adam’s response, he is even saying that if God hadn’t put Eve in his life, he wouldn’t have sinned! As if God was the guilty party! As if Adam had not sinned by his own choice! As if Adam didn’t know that fruit was forbidden! Eve played the same blame game. She didn’t blame God. Instead, she blamed Satan by saying, “the serpent deceived me!” (Genesis 3:13). Both Adam and Eve tried to shift the blame for their sin to someone else. That’s a common response for many people. They do not take responsibility for their sin. They blame someone else for the mistake or failure. That’s not how God sees it. God knows when you are to blame. Adam and Eve were punished for their sin. Their blame didn’t help at all!
It is very common for people to blame others when they sin or fail or falter. It is almost a “go-to” for some people. It’s what they do best. When you try to shift the blame for your own sin to another, you are essentially trying to get out of the punishment, transfer the guilt, get someone else to shoulder the responsibility. When you do this, it won’t help you at all. It won’t help your relationship with God. It won’t stop the punishment or inevitable fallout. You may think it helps, but it won’t.
I have met with many people in counseling who tried to shift the blame for their sin or failure upon someone else. A wife may blame her husband for marriage problems, without seeing her own responsibility in their relationship decline. A teen may blame his friend for getting into trouble. A person might try to blame the circumstances or temptations for a spiritual fall or moral infidelity. You will never make things better by blaming. You won’t take responsibility or face the consequences or move toward repentance if you shift blame. If you do this, healing may not occur, forgiveness may never happen, your relationship with God or another may be irrevocably damaged.
Shifting the blame did not help Adam and Eve in the least. It only displayed an all-too-common method of playing the blame game in the psychology of humans. I implore you to refrain from shifting blame when you sin or fail or make a mistake. It is always best to face the consequences and move on. I have found that those who shift blame are prone to lying, deception, and more guilt. Shifting the blame can blunt the healing effect of repentance and forgiveness and reconciliation.
It takes a true Christian to face the consequences of his or her actions. Righteousness demands you not blame others for your own misdeeds. Some Christians have fallen from grace because of their inability to take responsibility for failure. Don’t be counted among those who have failed God through shifting the blame. It won’t end well.