"Stop It: The Blame Game"

If there is a mantra for people forty years and younger it is, "it's not my fault!" Whether it's poor job performance, participation on a sports team, or dealing with life issues, Gen X'ers and Gen Y'ers frequently want to blame someone or something else for their failings. This isn't a newly uncovered social discovery I'm sharing with you, but it is one that needs to be confronted.

Since I am not a social scientist, and have done no studies on this issue, I cannot tell you where this all came about. I can only conjecture that perhaps since the 1960's, our country has put so much emphasis on a child's self-esteem, that we have neglected personal responsibility in the raising of children. Whatever the reasons, there are many young adults today who are incapable of admitting blame, and taking responsibility for their mistakes. As a pastor, I have seen this affect everything from marriage difficulties, job dissatisfaction, to drug and alcohol dependency in today's 20 to 30-somethings.

All of us have negative and difficult situations to deal with in life. There are some people who have had devastating and tragic things happen to them, that are no fault of their own. What is our responsibility is how we respond to these adverse situations, and decide to live from that point forward.

So, in keeping with the spirit of this blog series, I'm not going to give complicated, psychological answers to change this behavior; all I'm going to simply say is: STOP IT! Stop blaming other people for your failings. Stop reacting to correction before you've actually listened to what is being said. Stop the attitude that you can do nothing wrong, and therefore, cannot be corrected by anyone. Stop the thinking that you are perfect, because you're not, and neither am I.

When Christians play "the blame game," it limits opportunities for growth. Hebrews 12:4-6 reads, "In ths all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through...So don't feel sorry for yourselves...My dear children, don't shrug off God's disciple, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines, the child he embraces, he also corrects. (The Message)"

Fellow believers, listen to the correction of God and God's people. It's not being done to make you feel badly, but rather to make you better! Be better today. Be people who are strong enough to accept blame, when necessary, and wise enough to learn from it.