playing the blame game…

another answer that james gives in how to handle temptation is to be responsible.  be responsible.

accept responsibility.  don’t blame other people for your problems.  we love to blame other people.

james 1.13b (niv), when tempted, no one should say, ‘GOD is tempting me.’  for GOD cannot be tempted by evil, nor does HE tempt anyone. GOD does not tempt, but we love to blame others.

will rogers said, “you could summarize american history into two great movements: the passing of the buffalo and the passing of the buck.”

we are in a society of irresponsibility.  blame society, blame the government, blame the environment, blame heredity, blame your parents, blame the devil, even blame GOD. 

some people say, “it must be GOD’s will or HE wouldn’t have let it happen.”  that’s called blaming GOD. there was this guy who said, “GOD told me to leave my wife and go marry someone else that i met at church.”  that’s called blaming GOD.  don’t make your bad choices and then blame them on GOD. 

GOD does not tempt.  HE never contradicts HIS word.  GOD is not going to tell you one thing and have the bible say something different.  if the bible says something and you say something different, you’re wrong.  be responsible.  don’t blame GOD and don’t blame other people.  it’s a sign of immaturity.

the fact is i bring most of my problems onto myself and so do you.  we bring them on ourselves.  if i’m ever going to break those bad habits i want to get rid of, first i have to be realistic; i am tempted.  then number two: i’ve got to be responsible; i quit passing the buck, making excuses.

just a thought from the front porch…

running away from reality and responsibility…

one of the most important truths you have to learn in life is it is never GOD’s will for you to run from a difficult situation.  never.  if you do, HE’s going to bring it up again.  HE wants you to learn that HE is sufficient in every situation and if you don't learn it here, HE’ll just provide the opportunity again.

in today’s society, there are plenty of ways to run.  what is your favorite escape?  choose your pleasure.  choose your vice.  there are lots of ways to escape from reality and responsibility today.  GOD says they are all out of HIS will if you’re using them to run.  “i want you to stand strong in quiet confidence and watch me do a miracle.” 

what do i stand firm on?  he tells us in 2 chronicles 20.20 (niv), have faith in the LORD your GOD and you will be upheld.  have faith in HIS prophets and you will be successful. 

do you want to be successful?  you stand on two things: the character of GOD and the word of GOD.  have faith in the word – that’s the character of GOD.  we know who HE is.  we know what HE’s done.  and have faith in what HIS prophets have said – that’s the word of GOD, the 7000 promises.  you stand on those two things.  no problem, no conflict, and no loss.  

so when you’re facing an overwhelming battle and the odds are against you, you turn to GOD first.  you talk to GOD about the situation.  tell GOD how you feel.  you trust GOD to help you and you thank GOD in advance.

notice 2 chronicles 20.21 (nlt), the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army singing to the LORD and praising HIM.  this is what they sang  “give thanks to the LORD for HIS faithful love endures forever.” 

                                                                                                                   

picture this: on one mountain are the three enemy armies amassed to do battle against israel.  three nations of armies.  then there’s the valley where they’re going to do battle.  then there are the lowly israelites.  jehoshaphat says, “we’re going to take you who sing and make a choir out of you and put you in front of the army as you march into battle.”  they’re out there singing “thanks to GOD!  praise GOD!”  the enemy is going, “what is going on?”  the israel army is certainly going, “yeah, what is going on?”  and the choir is saying, “we would like to know what’s going on!” 

there’s a very important truth here.  there’s a symbolism in this.  they were thanking GOD in advance for the victory.  before it even happened, they were thanking GOD in advance.  praise, thanksgiving, is verbalized faith.  if you thank GOD after the fact, that’s gratitude.  if you thank GOD before it happens, that’s faith.  they said, “give thanks.  we thank GOD for the victory

just a thought from the front porch…

too heavy a burden …

1 king 19.10 (niv), elijah said, i have been very zealous for the LORD GOD almighty. the israelites have rejected YOUr covenant and broken down YOUr altars and put YOUr prophets to death with a sword.

he blamed himself for negative events that weren’t his fault. he said, “i have worked my tail off for three years and they're not any closer to GOD than before. i have really tried. i’ve been zealous but what did they do? they're still living the same way.”

elijah blamed himself for failing to change the nation. he took it personally and when we do that, we get depressed. when we assume responsibility that GOD never intended us to have, we get depressed. it's too heavy a burden.

any time you help people, you sooner or later realize that people do not always respond the way you'd like them to. your children, your friends, your husband, your wife, people you work for or people who work for you. people just don't always respond the way you want them to. you can't assume responsibility for their response and when you do that you're carrying a burden that's only going to depress you. you can influence people, but you cannot control them. the final decision is theirs. so don't get yourself depressed over something you cannot control. that's what elijah did.

just a thought from the front porch…

i know what’s good and what’s bad...

another area where we are created in GOD’s image is our morality.

the fact that i'm created with a moral conscience. as soon as GOD started creating things, HE started saying, “good. that’s good.” that’s a moral comment. when you say something is good or something is bad, that's a moral commentary.

GOD has made us into moral beings. because we’re created with the ability to make moral choices, that includes both freedom and responsibility.

those of you who are parents and your kids are just starting to drive, you know what i'm talking about. you’re giving them some freedom but you also have a little talk with them about responsibility. it includes both.

the fact that i'm created in GOD’s image means i know what’s good and what’s bad. i can make choices between the two. inner conscious.

and that is the key, the freedom of choice.  but then we are not free of the consequences of that choice.  but we at least have deep within us the  choice.

just a thought from the front porch…

we are responsible for HIS creation…

we were also created to rule over GOD’s creation. we have a relationship with GOD and we have a relationship with GOD’s creation. we stand in between the two – a relationship with GOD reflecting his image; a relationship with HIS creation, ruling over HIS creation.

some people say, “why should mankind have anymore rights over this world than an animal? why shouldn’t a dolphin or a whale have just as many rights as we do?” well, because GOD said that you and i are to rule over this world. for you and i as believers, the reason for being concerned about the environment is not that we’re all on equal ground. we’re not. the bible is very clear about that. the reason for being concerned is that we’re responsible. GOD has made you and i responsible for HIS creation. that’s the biblical reason for being concerned and caring for GOD’s world that he made.

for most of you, i’ll bet there’s at least a portion of GOD’s world that you enjoy taking care of. maybe it's a plant, a dog or your goldfish. why do you enjoy that? GOD created you that way. imagine GOD creates us in HIS image to have responsibility over HIS world. this is a big thing.

psalm 8.3-6 (lb) is very honest about how you and i feel about this, when i look up into the night sky and i see the work of your fingers, o GOD, the moon and the stars that you’ve made, i can’t understand how YOU’d bother with puny man. [the stars are so beautiful, YOU’ve made such great things. why in the world are YOU concerned about us? why do YOU pay attention?] YOU’ve made him only a little lower than the angels and placed a crown of glory and honor upon his head. YOU’ve put him in charge of everything that YOU’ve made and YOU’ve put everything under his authority.

when we talk about values, our values will never be right until we put the right value on ourselves. as long as you devalue yourself, as long as you don’t see this truth that we’re created in GOD’s image. we have sinned; we’ve all failed. the image has been marred. but it doesn’t take away the truth of genesis 2 and when you and i start to see how GOD values us and how GOD made you, then you start to get hold of yourself, your life, your situation and circumstances.

it’s more than just the fact that we were created. i'm not just saying that GOD made you. GOD made a lot of things. he made ants, grasshopper, and mosquitoes.

have you ever thought what mosquitoes did in the garden of eden? they couldn’t do what they do now because it wouldn’t have been a paradise if they did what they do now. we weren’t just created like an ant or a mosquito or an animal or an ape. we were created in GOD’s image. what an incredible truth!

just a thought from the front porch…

i am responsible...

as I said you have to admit that anger is not some other person’s responsibility, not some circumstantial responsibility. it’s my responsibility. instead of blaming others, you take responsibility for your anger in that moment. you must – i must – take responsibility for my anger. if i don’t take responsibility for my anger, no one else is going to take responsibility. if i don’t take responsibility for my anger, i’m going to live with this the rest of my life. i’m going to be a slave to it the rest of my life.

we use phrases like “you make me so mad!” who is responsible in that little phrase? you are! the truth is you don’t make me so mad, the world doesn’t make me so mad, circumstances don’t make me so mad. i make me so mad! the choices i’m making are the things that cause that anger to happen in my life.

once i do that, once i take responsibility for my anger, i begin to do things like GOD encourages us in philippians 4.6-7 (nlt), don’t worry about anything. instead pray about everything. tell GOD what you need and thank HIM for all HE has done. if you do this, you will experience GOD’s peace. you tell GOD what you’re worried about and you experience HIS peace instead of the anxiety and then the anger. you tell GOD you’re grateful even in the midst of difficult days. tell HIM what you’re grateful for. and you experience HIS peace.

just a thought from the front porch…

rejection or responsibility...

nothing brings out the best in people – kids or anybody else – faster than having somebody believe in them and trust them with responsibility.

luke 16.10 & 12 (ncv), whoever can be trusted with a little can also be trusted with a lot. if you cannot be trusted with things that belong to somebody else, who will give you things of your own?

one of the most important life skills, parents, we can teach our children is teaching them to be responsible. we are in a society filled with irresponsible adults. why? because they never learned responsibility as children. so we must gradually turn the responsibility over to our children as they grow, not hold on too tightly and not over protect them.

how do you learn to be responsible? one way. you learn to be responsible by somebody trusting you with responsibility even when somebody thinks you don’t deserve it. in the long run you’re far better off trusting your kids too much than too little because over protection really is a form of rejection.

when you overprotect your children, you’re in essence saying, “you’re not competent. i don’t trust you. you can’t be relied on. therefore i’m going to have to keep things real close.”

yes, they will make mistakes when you trust them. so did you. you’re not perfect and your heavenly FATHER accepts you. you are to accept your children even when they make mistakes.

in the long run you do far more good for the emotional, mental and SPIRITual health of your children to over trust them rather than under trust them. obviously, with little kids they can’t handle a lot but as they grow you must be willing to give the responsibility away. this is a basic life skill we all have to learn. people respond to responsibility. they thrive under it. they grow. they develop. they blossom. people respond to responsibility.

on the other hand if you treat people like babies…. say, you’re a manager and you treat people like babies you’re going to have to diaper them the rest of your life.

bosses, “don’t make all the mistakes yourself. let your people make some of them.” delegate, release, empower people. because when you trust people with responsibility they blossom.

just a thought from the front porch…