“And he said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?’ The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’”
– Genesis 3:11,12
![]() Yet another age-old relationship lesson we learn from the story of Adam and Eve is that it’s best to not cast blame. After messing up and eating from the tree that the Lord told him not to, God confronted Adam about his sin. While he admitted to having taken a bite of the wrong fruit, the man immediately tried to absolve himself of the burden of responsibility by blaming Eve — telling Him that she made him eat it. Not to be outdone, when the Lord moved down the line to confront Eve, she wasted no time in pinning blame on the serpent. While their statements were partially true and they had both been influenced by someone or something else in making their decision to sin, it would have been better not to try and hide it. God already knew what had happened and He wasn’t interested in affixing blame, He just needed to ask a hard question in order for them to come to a place of confession and responsibility. My friend, as difficult as it is not to cast blame when you make a mistake, it’s always the best policy. It is a gift to acknowledge truth, confess sin, and take responsibility, because only through maintaining integrity can you rest easy at night and live in the power of divine peace. Your Savior loves you enough to ask the hard questions, and since He already knows the answer, it’s best to fess up so you can keep moving forward. Grace and truth fuel your faith and propel you into more of your potential, so keep your conscience clear and take responsibility whenever you miss the mark! If you’re unable to attend your local church or need an extra dose of weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode. |
Prayer
Help me to take responsibility, Jesus, whenever I make a mistake so I won’t cast blame on others.
Reflection
How do you typically respond when you mess up?