Taking Responsibility
Do you sometimes get the impression that we live in a society in which people blame others for their mistakes? (Some of you are probably thinking, “No duh”). While this is certainly not true with all people, it is often true with many of us.
Oftentimes a criminal will blame his criminal behavior on how his mother or father treated him as a child, or how he was bullied a lot when he was in grade school, etc. But even in the home or at work or at school, how many times have we blamed something going on in our lives for why we adversely reacted to something or to someone around us? While it is true that we are (to some degree) a product of our environment, the bottom line is: who committed the crime? Who committed the sin? Who was the one who reacted?
Cause and effect are undeniable forces, yet it's important to recognize that God judges us not based on the actions of others or our circumstances, but on how we respond to them. Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist, psychologist, and Holocaust survivor, eloquently expressed a similar idea. He stated, 'Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.' He also noted, 'Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.' These principles resonate deeply with biblical teachings on personal responsibility and choice.
The Bible speaks of people who made mistakes or sinned – and some of them “passed the buck,” justifying why they failed; while others took full responsibility for what they did. Consider these examples:
- The one-talent man tried to justify himself (Matt. 25:25). HE WAS NOT JUSTIFIED
- The publican said, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Lk. 18:13): HE WAS JUSTIFIED
- King Saul blamed the people for His own error (1 Sam. 15): HE WAS REJECTED
- The prodigal son blamed himself for his plight (Lk. 15:21). HE WAS RECEIVED
- Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed Satan for their transgression (Gen. 3:12). THEY WERE DRIVEN OUT
- David said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:13). HE WAS FORGIVEN
Do you see the difference?
Aaron Veyon
