SCRIPTURE READING: GENESIS 3:8–13
KEY VERSE: JAMES 1:4
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Adam and Eve’s fall into sin was the result of listening to the voice of the tempter, and their actions resulted in shame, guilt, and fear. Their shame is immediately evident in the awareness of their nakedness. Moreover, when faced with the presence of God, they choose to hide. They are simply afraid to face Him because, for the first time, Adam and Eve are aware of good and evil, and they realize the evil in their actions.
When questioned by God, Adam demonstrates yet another common response to sin: redirected blame. In Genesis 3:12, he tries to blame Eve for what he has done. How often do we still employ this tactic today?
“It’s not my fault! The devil made me do it!” Maybe you have your own common catchphrases to shift blame elsewhere. At the root of this, however, is our own guilt over our wrongdoings. In desperation, we reach out and attempt to pin the blame on whoever may be readily accessible.
We must realize that we cannot be made to sin. James 1:14 makes this point clear: “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” When it comes to straying from God’s desires for us, the blame game falls short. We must instead confess our sins to God, who stands ready to forgive everything that leads us to shame, guilt, and fear.
Lord, help me not to blame others, but to take personal responsibility for my own sin.
Stanley, C. F. (2006). Pathways to his presence (p. 24). Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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