S. Insights from Gen_3:1-24
Insights from Genesis 3:1-24 1. Doubting the Goodness of God
Genesis 3:4-5, "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
How crafty the devil is! His goal is to rob the people from their Maker by making them doubt God’s very character. Here’s the devil’s counsel to his co-workers, “If you want to mislead the people from their Creator, it’s quite simple - just make use of the opportunities to let them doubt His love and goodness.” The serpent had been successful in tempting Eve by having her doubt the goodness and faithfulness of God. He implied that God is selfish and doesn’t want to share His knowledge of good and evil with them. He deceived her into believing that God withheld from her the best. Regretfully, Eve believed the lie of the devil and did that which God had forbidden her.
Ever since then the devil has been busy in getting people to doubt the goodness and faithfulness of God. When things don’t happen according to our expectations or when situations seem to be unfair, we are always tempted to ask, “Why did God do this to me?” The serpent lies in our mind: “If God really loves you then why did he put you in such a difficult situation? If God really cares for you then why is He not answering your prayers? If God is in control of your life then why all things are not going well with you?” By having us believe such lies, he turns us to get bitter against God and do things that which He has forbidden.
Dear friends, we have to destroy the devil’s lie by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). For it is written, "God is good and His love endures forever" (Psalms 118:1). When tempted Eve failed to acknowledge that God gave her the best. She couldn’t believe that He works all things for good. She couldn’t trust God’s love for her. Oswald Chambers once said, "The root of sin is the suspicion that God is not good."
How painful it would be for God to see His children doubting His goodness in their lives! In most cases, the root cause for worry, disappointment, loneliness and depression is our failure to acknowledge who God is. The state of our mind and heart speaks more of what we believe about God than our statements. Whenever you are tempted to doubt God’s love and goodness in your life gear yourself up to cling to the following Scriptures:
Romans 8:32 - He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Matthew 7:9-11 - Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2. Diluting the Consequences of Sin
Genesis 3:1-4, "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, ’You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ’You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’" "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman."
One of the subtle strategies of the devil in enticing people to destroy their relationship with God is by diluting the consequences of sin. When God told, “You will die,” the devil said, “You will not surely die.” Eve took seriously the words of Satan than the words of God. She ate the fruit thinking that nothing God warned would happen. She failed to understand that God is not like a man who is casual in his words. She allowed the father of lies to fool her.
Even today the devil is continuing to fool multitudes by blurring their understanding towards sin and its consequences. He lied in the minds of many, “How can a loving God send you to hell? How would a merciful God punish you for your sins? Jesus died for your sins, so you don’t have to be concerned about how to conduct your life according to God’s word. Live the way you want and you will certainly not die; nothing will happen; God’s grace is all-sufficient to cover your sins.” So people made their mind to focus on a God who is always loving, gives whatever people ask, blesses everyone, forgives whenever people sin, gives good health and wealth, offers peace and joy. Now that’s true! However, the devil has fooled people to ignore the other undeniable aspects of God’s character - such as holiness, justice, discipline and judgment. The devil has been successful in tempting people to direct their complete attention on God’s love without holiness, blessings without obedience, forgiveness without repentance, heavenly joy without godly sorrow, crown without cross, peace without righteousness, grace without godliness and faith in Jesus without fear of God.
It is regretful to see countless Christians living a compromising and easy-going life by claiming to believe in the loving God. To the Romans, who had partial understanding of God’s nature, Paul exhorted, “Consider therefore the KINDNESS and STERNNESS of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22). Here is a caution that God would not spare anyone if we abuse His kindness for self-indulgence. In the same epistle Paul also cautioned, “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4)
Dear brothers and sisters, God poured out His abundant grace and kindness upon us so that we would repent (without wallowing in self-condemnation) and change our lifestyle (without giving excuses to live a sinful life). We may not be entirely perfect but there is ongoing repentance and progressive growth in the holiness of God in all those who pursue His kingdom and righteousness. Moreover, the fall of man should constantly remind us that God is awesome; He cannot compromise with sin! Isn’t it amazing that the entire humanity was cursed because of one disobedient act of our first parents? What does this speak about God’s view of sin? And what about the horrible death of Christ on the cross? Shouldn’t that bring to our mind that God put himself in terrible agony to provide forgiveness for our sins, revealing that He is never casual with sin and neither should His children be?
What about us? Do we take light of God’s warnings? Are we fearing God and shunning evil? Isaiah cried, "Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word" (Isaiah 66:5). I am afraid to see many Christians losing the fear of God and becoming desensitized to the conviction of the Holy Spirit in regard to sin and righteousness. Do we seriously consider the exhortations and encouragement of God given in His Word or are we philosophizing our own view about who God is? One of the frequent exhortations given in God’s word is, "Do not be deceived." Are we seriously considering the sober teachings of the Holy Scriptures on the destructive nature of sin? If unrepentant, the Holy Bible explicitly teaches that – “the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexual offenders, impure, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers, the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, those who practice magic arts, the liars, the envious, the aggressors will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 21:8; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5). Therefore, let us renounce every deceptive belief of the devil that ignores holiness and encourages people to sin and face terrible consequences.
3. Discontentment
Genesis 3:6, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.”
How “blessed” Eve and Adam were! They had everything to taste and enjoy in the world God created for them. They had all the freedom to eat the best fruits from all the trees in the garden and had only one commandment to obey, i.e. not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, Eve didn’t remain content with all that God had given her and craved for something more which was forbidden. She forgot all the best she received from the gracious hand of God, and instead, focused on that one thing she didn’t have. She failed to acknowledge, “God has given us the best and I am content with what I have.” She allowed dissatisfaction to reign her heart. Make a note—discontentment was the ruination of our first parents.
What about us? Even today the devil is taking advantage of people’s dissatisfaction by luring them into unwanted things. No wonder many are chasing things that are forbidden by God. The mankind is in misery because there is no contentment. Solomon observed it well, “All man’s efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied” (Ecclesiastes 6:7). How disillusioned people have become in seeking to satisfy their passions and appetite! Never forget, the vast sea has boundaries but there are no limits to the desires of our heart. It may be easier to empty the mighty ocean than to fulfill our heart’s desires. To try to satisfy our passions and cravings is like chasing after the wind.
We Christians succumb to devil’s temptation when we remain dissatisfied with the few things we don’t have when God has blessed us with countless blessings. It is the devil’s pleasure to see us regretting for things that we do not have than rejoice for the things we already have. When it comes to earthly things, therefore, the Holy Scripture exhorts, "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction" (1 Timothy 6:6-9). The Holy Bible teaches us that if we have the basic necessities of life we have everything to survive and to be happy on earth. Some are discouraged with God because of unanswered prayers; they didn’t get what they wanted. Well, we need to understand that God did not promise to satisfy our greed but to provide all that we need (Php 4:18-19). So whenever you are tempted to doubt the faithfulness of God, ask yourself, “Did God fail in providing me the basic necessities of life?” And remember, do not allow what others possess to direct your life and prayers. Solomon made an apt statement, “And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:4). Do not imitate the world, for the world is obsessed with materialism. As the world is advancing and so are people’s cravings. Success is defined by what you gain, not with what you remain. But who are the blessed, successful and happy ones according to God’s word? Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and are content with physical things (Matthew 5:6; 1 Timothy 6:6-9) Sadly, rather than being content physically and craving to grow spiritually many are physically discontent and spiritually complacent. I fear the things that are below are dominating our lives more than the things that are above (Colossians 3:2). In the place where I live we have a chain store named, “MORE for you.” I don’t know with what intention that name was kept but that speaks a lot about what people are seeking today. People want MORE sex (outside marriage), MORE money, MORE pleasures, MORE power, MORE fame, MORE food, MORE comfort, MORE things, MORE prosperity, MORE and MORE and MORE ... Do we realize the tragedy of discontentment—the more we get the more we become desperate to get more? True joy is not in receiving what we want but in being content with what we have.
Now, added to the struggle of innate greed is the prosperity teaching which triggers more craving for the things of the world. This dangerous teaching is making many Christians carnal, selfish and greedy. Instead of giving up everything to follow Christ people are following Christ to get everything (Luke 14:33). In these last days, without becoming victims of these false teachings which infiltrated the church we have to discipline the desires of our heart and make it submissive to God’s Word. In doing so, we resist the temptation of the devil to be discontent. When we feel dissatisfied, consider all we have and thank God for His mercies that never cease. This keeps us from grumbling, greed and from ingratitude. We need to learn the prayer of George Herbert, “Thou hast given so much to me…give me one thing more—a grateful heart.”
Finally, we are well aware of the saying, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). I see this verse hanging in many houses. But did we consider the context in which it is written? Please read the preceding words, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God said, never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). In other words it implies, “Don’t live a discontent life because God is all-sufficient.” Yet, how many Christians are living a discontent life because they just believe in God but are not satisfied by having Him who is all-sufficient? Remember, we are created by Christ and for His pleasure, not for the world and for its pleasures (Colossians 1:16). Our ultimate satisfaction is in living for the pleasure of Christ, not in getting the pleasures of the world.
4. Pleasure and Peril of Sin
Genesis 3:6, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” Do you know why we people love to commit sin? Because it is pleasing, alluring and exhilarating. When the woman saw the fruit of the tree it seemed irresistibly pleasing to her eye. I think she did not eat the fruit immediately after looking at it. She gazed at it and the more she had intent look at it the more it appealed to her. She couldn’t control herself anymore from eating the forbidden fruit and finally gave in to the trap of sin. Eve stands as an example of how one can be deluded by the fascination of sin, failing to see beyond its pleasure. Someone rightly said, “Sin will always expose to you, the pleasure that lies immediately in front of you, it blinds to the destruction that lies ahead of you.” Sin is attractive but destructive too; it is fascinating but also devastating.
Now here is a caution: If Eve was fascinated towards sin in her sinless state what about us who battle with our sinful nature? Don’t dwell on something that is forbidden. To do so is to get captivated by it. Sin is such a powerful force that once we are caught in its lure we are left defenseless to resist. Therefore, beware of yielding to the cravings of the eye, for it comes not from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:16). Jesus said, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness” (Luke 11:34). Yes, our eyes direct our body. The eye is the organ whereby we look at something and signals the mind to think and move; the body becomes active by the mind to feel and act accordingly. I think we may abstain from committing most of the terrible sins if our eyes become blind. For this reason Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away” (Matthew 5:27). What did he mean in saying this? Did he say to literally pluck our eyes? Certainly not! In his paraphrased Bible “The Message” Eugene H. Peterson translated it well, “If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer.” I know by experience that to turn my eyes immediately from the pleasure of sin is like plucking my eyes; it’s really painful. However, this is what I have observed: To resist sin is painful for a moment but fruitful thereafter; to yield to sin is pleasurable awhile but proves perilous later. So, if our eyes are caught up in a sinful sight we have to instantly turn away and focus on something that is good (Php 4:8). Eve’s eyes were caught by the pleasure of sin, eventually leading her into peril.
Friends, if we fail to discipline the way we look at things with our eyes the power of temptation becomes uncontrollable. What do we do when we look at things that are pleasing to our sight? Did we school our eyes and mind? How do we look at magazines, television, women, men, unwanted material things, forbidden objects…etc? Many are in pursuit to get what is seemingly good, pleasant and desirable to their eyes and consequently getting into misery and heavy burdens. It’s true that sin is fascinating and luring, but it is also true that it is dangerous and destructive. Sin is quite attractive but by yielding unto it, we put ourselves into its ugliness. Ah, sin has pleasant lips with poisonous teeth!
It was Samuel Smiles who said, “Sow a thought and you reap an act. Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny.” If I am permitted I wish to put at first, “Sow a sight and you reap a thought.” Sight and imagination work inseparably to cause feelings and actions. Take a note, what we watch is what we catch; what we catch is what we hatch. If we don’t control the way we look at things what we look will take control over us.
5. Sin is Contagious
Genesis 3:6, "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it". Do you know one of the tragic realities of sin? IT INFLUENCES THOSE AROUND US. Sin is terribly contagious. It is more dangerous and rapidly spreads than AIDs virus. The Holy Bible often likened sin to yeast in bread which symbolizes the power of corruption. When Eve sinned, she also involved Adam in her sinful act. She didn’t sin without immediately influencing Adam. She got spoiled and also spoiled the one with her. Perhaps Eve had best intentions in sharing the fruit with Adam but what she did was a worst action in the sight of the Almighty God. To quote Irish poet Oscar Wilde (a great thinker who lived a pathetic life), “It is always with the best intentions that the worst work is done.”
What Eve did continues to this day. It is human disposition that when we do something sinful we will inevitably cause others to partake in it. He who yields to the temptation will also become a temptation to others. For example, the one who commits adultery will seduce the other person to take part in the act. People cannot gossip without a partner. Women cannot grumble without spreading the bitterness into others. Men cannot walk in falsity without misleading others. We cannot live a bad life without leaving bad steps for others to follow; at least few people will be influenced, especially the ones who are close to us, like family members and friends. And there is no part in our body which is as influential as our tongue. For this reason it is written, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).
Some may say, “I can sin in isolation, i.e. in my mind; what I think or imagine is confined to myself.” True, but our thoughts and imagination does impact our words and actions, eventually influencing others. We influence ourselves with our sight and thoughts and others with our words and actions. Never forget—SIN IN ME BREEDS SIN IN OTHERS. SIN GROWS IN ME AND MULTIPLIES IN OTHERS. AH, THE SIN THAT TAKES ROOT IN ME WILL NOT FAIL TO BEAR FRUIT IN OTHERS! Ravi Zacharias was right in saying, “Sin has a ripple effect. You will never ever sin alone because when you sin you are changed and when you are changed you will affect somebody else.”
Here is one of the deceptive statements by some – “I don’t live a good life and nor will I influence others with my sinful lifestyle.” Every person is a channel, either of good or bad. Remember, there is no neutrality when it comes to sin. We may (at times) sin in isolation but we cannot live a sinful lifestyle in isolation. I need to yet meet a person who sins without dragging others into sin. Moreover, we may not necessarily have to become preachers or teachers to cause impact on others. The way we live is far influential than the words we speak, and especially the impact of a sinful lifestyle spreads like wildfire. The Holy Scripture is replete with examples, teaching us that the affect of a sinful life is much easier and swift than holy life.
Dear brothers and sisters, what kind of life are we living? How are we influencing those around us? What is it that others are learning from us? Are we setting up a good model or a bad example to others? Let me make it plain—to continue to live deliberately in sin is to inevitably have devastating affect on others, whether intentionally or unintentionally, consciously or unconsciously. The Holy Bible has surplus examples and instructions about not being influenced by or influencing others with something bad. Here are some of them:
Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. (Luke 17:1-2)
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way. (Romans 14:13) Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? (1 Corinthians 5:6) Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33) Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. (1 Corinthians 8:9)
I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. (Romans 16:17) We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. (2 Corinthians 6:3)
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:15)
Application: The only way to evade bad influence upon others is to live a holy and loving life. May we be quick to recognize our sins, confess them to God and repent before we are tempted to pollute those around us.
6. Sin is Sin Genesis 3:6, "She took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."
Whether you throw a pebble or a rock both will sink into the water, right? It is our tendency to quickly justify ourselves, saying, “What great sin did I commit! It was just a little thing!” Remember, whether small or great, sin is sin. Read these words carefully: "She took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it" (Genesis 3:6). And when God asked Adam, "What have you done?" he replied, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it" (Genesis 3:12).
Eve did not eat the complete fruit. She ate only some and so did Adam. However, her actions were not belittled just because she ate little. There was no way for Eve to justify herself before God, “Lord, I didn’t eat the complete fruit. It was only little that I ate. Don’t take it too serious!” Doesn’t this attitude sound familiar? How often do we consider some sins with ‘take it easy attitude’ simply because we view them as something “small” or “little.” Oh, by the way, do you remember Saul’s mission? God told him to completely destroy the wicked Amalekites. Saul did destroy Amalekites but he spared Agag king of Amalekites and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs-- everything that was good. When Samuel rebuked Saul of his disobedience are you aware of how he responded? Saul justified himself saying, “But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal" (1 Samuel 15:20-21). Saul didn’t yet understand his sin. He still was under the impression that he obeyed God. He didn’t realize that “half obedience (little obedience) is no obedience at all.” He didn’t grasp that little sin is still sin in the sight of God.
Furthermore, when we study the life of King Saul and King David, whose sin appears greater to us? Of course, David’s. He committed an immoral act by sleeping with another man’s wife and worse still, killing that man to take his wife. Saul’s sin seems to be smaller compared to David’s. Yet, Saul received a greater judgment than David. Why is it so? When prophet Samuel rebuked Saul he justified himself before others but when prophet Nathan rebuked David he humbly repented before God. No matter how great or small our sins are, when we honestly admit our sins and repent, God is gracious enough to forgive us.
How often do we take sin lightly or consider sin “little”, only to continue living in sin! The Holy Bible doesn’t weigh sin in terms of great or small; it just addressed sin as sin. May we dare not take sin lightly, saying, “It was just a lie, not a plunder; just a lustful thought or look, not an adulterous action; just an anger, not a violent fight; just hatred, not murder; just an unkind word, not an abominable speech; just unforgiveness, not vengeance; just premarital sex, not prostitution…etc.” Jesus’ exhortations in His Sermon on the Mount are related to what humans consider trivial. May we educate our conscience to see sin from God’s point of view, not from the world’s perspective!
James was straightforward in letting us know, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" (James 2:10; cf. 1 John 3:4). Can we live our entire life without stumbling at one law? For this reason, however holy we may seek to live we can never claim of being perfect in this sinful world. We may not commit sins which appear mountainous before people but are we not prone to commit sins which are like anthill? Anyways, sin is sin. We are saved by grace from the penalty of sin and live by grace on earth and enter in heaven by grace alone. Our life on earth is a journey towards perfection. Paul urged the Corinthians, “Aim for perfection” (2 Corinthians 13:11). Therefore, we must constantly seek God’s holiness, always examine ourselves in the light of the Holy Spirit, honestly repent of our sins (great or small) and keep growing in the likeness of Christ.
Well, I am not arguing here that all sins are equal in the intensity of offense or damage and that all sins have the same consequences. My point is—let us stop weighing sin (so to justify our actions) and take responsibility to confess and repent of any sin we commit, whether small or great. One of the great signs of a holy person—he is not flippant in his attitude towards sin. May we understand that sin, whether great or small, is still sin in God’s sight. Therefore, may we humble ourselves and “let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete purity because we fear God” (2 Corinthians 7:1, NLT).
7. Blame Game
Genesis 3:12, "The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."
Genesis 3:13, "And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Hubert H. Humphrey, the thirty-eighth Vice President of the United States, once said, “We believe that to err is human. To blame it on someone else is politics.” If what Hubert said is true then politics began in the Garden of Eden. The first man and woman were great politicians in blame game. It is no wonder to see this attitude in men and women today. When the Lord God asked Adam, “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate" (Genesis 3:11-12).
If we observe carefully, it seems Adam blamed two persons. He first blamed God. He said, “The woman whom You gave…” It appears Adam was blaming God for giving Eve to be with him. Perhaps, he is saying, he would have been an obedient man if God didn’t have given him the woman; his life would have been smooth if God had not brought this woman into his life. How sad it is that people still blame God today! I have seen folks blaming God more for putting the knowledge of the tree of good and evil in the Garden of Eden than holding Adam responsible for his disobedience.
It saddens my heart when I look at people making their own choices against the wisdom of God and then blaming Him for putting them in crisis. I am reminded of a Scripture in Proverbs, “People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD” (Proverbs 19:3, NLT). Are you blaming God for the consequences of your choice? Are you questioning, “Why did God put me into this situation? Why did He let this happen to me?” Perhaps it is because you made wrong choices. Examine the root cause and make amends. Life turns beautiful if we learn to thank God and repent of our unwise choices than blame Him and continue to make foolish mistakes. There is a proverb from India, “Do not blame God for having created the tiger, but thank him for not having given it wings.” The second person Adam blamed was Eve. He said that it is the woman who gave him the fruit (Genesis 3:12). To put it different, Adam is saying, if this woman had not given me the fruit I wouldn’t have eaten it. Well, didn’t Adam have the freedom to deny Eve’s offer? Was he a sucking baby in a stroller or a mature man to make his own choice? How often is this blaming attitude manifested in interpersonal relationships! Bear this in mind, no one can spoil us without our permission. Of course, others may influence us but it we who allow ourselves to be influenced. When facing conflicts how easy it is to blame others and deny taking personal responsibility! Blaming each other will never make things better – in fact, it only worsens. Someone rightly said, “When you blame others, you give up power to change.”
Charles R. Swindoll well pointed out, "Three of the hardest words in the English language are "You are right." The other three are "I am wrong!" I wonder how many broken relationships can be healed if we learn to stop blaming each other and start accepting personal responsibility. The more we blame the more we make ourselves lame. As much as we are eager to take credit for success, if we show the same eagerness in taking personal responsibility for failures, things would turn out quite different. Unfortunately, our tendency is to take credit when it comes to success (even when we don’t deserve) and blame others when it comes to failures (when we deserve). I appreciate the person who put this question, “If you blame others for your failures, do you credit them with your success?” And the last thing that was blamed in the fall of man was the serpent. When God asked Eve, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate" (Genesis 3:13). As someone humorously put it, “Adam blamed his wife, his wife blamed the serpent, and the serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on.” Now, did not Eve have the freedom to rebuke the serpent’s temptation and trust in God’s words? Doesn’t the Scripture say to us, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7)? Yet it is the devil who is often blamed when people fall in temptation. Remember, Satan won’t pull our collar to commit sin. He only entices us. We are solely responsible for making a choice to yield to the luring temptations.
Finally, do you know the saddest thing in this incident? Neither Adam nor Eve took personal responsibility to confess their sin. They didn’t show any sign of repentance. They were busy blaming the other person. They felt shame within but didn’t admit their sin. Don’t we often feel that shame within when we commit sins or mistakes but refuse admitting them? When we do something wrong our ego or pride immediately rises to justify our folly. We do all that we can by blaming people, devil and even God but deny taking responsibility for our sins. It is good for us if we stop playing blame game and heed to this Scripture, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
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