BLAMESHIFTING DISCOUNTS STRENGTHENING

BLAMESHIFTING DISCOUNTS STRENGTHENING     James 1:20-27

  Blame shifting is employment of not taking responsibility for our individual exercise of free will. It is a “Through no fault of mine.” artificial life. This includes blaming God for problems while not examining self. (Praying for God to solve problems or fix family, organization, church et al may be an indication of lack of examining self first and most of all.)

  This is but yet another lesson emphasized by Grandmother McGee that fell on my cute little ego-centric deaf ears surrounded by blond curls. I can still hear her sternly asking “If Jim stuck his head in a furnace, would you?!” . . . which at the time I considered a stupid question from an old person that didn’t understand life as clearly as I did.

  Beginning with Grandmother’s words, through the years since ears opened and much hair gone with remainder silver around ears that, though physically deaf hear much better, I’ve added additional beneficial thoughts and questions:

·         When reading or hearing God’s Word think of personal application about my responsibilities.

·         Ask God’s Holy Spirit to fluorescently alert me when it is I that am part, most of, or all of a problem. This must include when absolutely-right smug attitude impairs hearing!

·         Especially listen for thoughts or verbalizing “See now what you’ve made me do!” (One of my favorite questions in jail was “Do you think anyone here is capable of making me angry?” while standing before the meanest most brutish looking man in class. Another question was “Is anyone, including God, capable of making me love you?”)

·         Does/did blame shifting accomplish or circumvent worthy goals?

·         When in silent or verbal blame shifting mode, am I teachable?

·         Emulating the first blame shifter (Gen.3:12), is my simplistic knee-jerk reaction to always blame God or someone else?

·         Consider what blame shifting has cost the first two shifters.

·         What has blame shifting cost me in my life?

·         What has my blame shifting cost others?

·         If I think God is at fault and I blame Him does it relieve me of my faulty contributions to this world?

·         Am I learning from wise experienced elders, or am I skating away from personal maturation?

·         If my life is typified by blaming God and/or others . . . am I edifying or otherwise?

·         Is my blame shifting better reasoned as Avoidance & Manipulation?

·         And last on my list, but absolutely the most important, Jesus was contrarian; He ultimately took all the blame that we might truly live now and forever. (1Pet.2:24) 

  Now, lest the above review make for a gloomy day, remember whose day it is (Ps.118:24); family ours (Jn.1:12); and His loving forgiveness (1John 1:9).

EBB4