It’s Not My Fault! I Blame?
It’s Not My Fault! I Blame?
Pastor Gregg Crisp September 17, 2017
I leave Cheyenne at about 2pm for Denver. I have a court date for a D.U.I. charge early the next morning. My Jeep wouldn’t start so I borrowed my mom’s van. With a full tank of gas, a 12 pack of Bud, and the music blaring as I am cruising south on I-25.
The next thing I remember is sitting on some lady’s tailgate, on the shoulder of I-25, her giving me water, and me saying “I’m going to jail”
Long-story-short, I did not go to jail. I went to the hospital instead and my family posted bail.
Later that night I knew I had to call my mom and TRY to tell her what happened. But I wasn’t sure. I knew I wrecked. I knew that my mom’s van was totaled. I knew that I went to the hospital, was arrested, let go, and was at my grandma’s in Denver.
But I didn’t remember a thing about the wreck. So, as I sat there with the phone in hand, I began to find excuses. I began to Justify, Rationalize and Blame.
As my mom answered the phone, I began by saying, “I was in a wreck but it Wasn’t my fault.” I began to make-up and ramble off how it was everyone’s else’s fault but mine. I wasn’t going to take or look at my accountability or responsibility for this.
But it was cool, at least for now, my mom at that moment was just glad that her baby was okay. A True Gregg story 1997.
No one held a gun to my head and made me drink the night before. No one forced me to buy and take beer with me that day. It sure wasn’t my wives fault because she didn’t drive me, even though I tried blaming her.
NO, I was in a big mess because I created it.
Don’t we, all of us, do that exact same thing. We are always blaming and pointing the finger at someone else. It’s never my fault.
Does anyone here not blame? (Dependent on the response.) ( 1) Oh, I didn’t know Jesus was here… 2) okay, if you raised your hand I was going to pass out because you must be Jesus.)
We all blame. I catch myself doing it all the time. Of course, I stop myself from blaming, after all I am pastor Gregg. (Ha-ha). It was a joke. I’m guilty of blaming others all the time.
But you know what? Whom else do we blame that is even worse, at least in my eyes it’s worse. We blame God!
We say, “It’s part of His plan. God put me here. God didn’t intervene” etc. The list of excuses and blame are endless.
But you say, “God is Sovern. God has control.” You then quote Jeremiah 29:11, which says,
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Yes, while it is true that God is Sovern and has ultimate control. And you are right to say such things, but they are not entirely accurate. We need to be Accurate, as well as, truthful when we speak, write, or share.
I don’t have near enough time to teach fully on God’s Sovereignty or Control, but I suggest you study them further.
I’ll say this though, God firstly gave Man a free-will. Then he let Satan have the freedom to roam the earth.
Temptation often comes from Satan (Matthew 4:1), but never from God (James 1:13, 14).
God knows the plans He has for you. He wants you to be successful, joyful and loved. But does that me we are living in His abundance? Not necessarily.
Look at it this way. Say I’m a parent. I have big plans to see my kid go to college, get a great job, be married and have great kids. That’s my plan. And it’s all good stuff, right.
But my kid turns 18, grows up and does none of that. But it was my plan! Can I force or make them, do it? Of course not!
The same is true with God. He has a great plan and purpose for you, but the choice is yours. Are you onboard or not.
Our current situation is based almost always because of choices we’ve made. I say, “almost always” because when someone runs into me because they ran a red light I had no choice in that. But most often my situation is because of some choice I made.
While God did set government, rules, practices, and principles in place. And God does say there will be consequences of good or bad based on our choice. Does that mean we blame Him because we suffer bad consequences? Of course not.
We may suffer the discipline of God. We may suffer a spiritual or natural or physical consequence because of our choice. And it’s true, God did put discipline and consequence in place. So, I guess you could say it’s God’s fault if you really stretch it.
No! You know right from wrong. You know good from bad. You know the difference between obedience and disobedience. You made the choice, not God.
Look at this way. Do you blame your parents when you get your butt spanked because you didn’t clean your room? They spanked you, right. No, you knew what would happen if you chose to be disobedient. The same is true with God. You chose to be disobedient, not God.
Let’s look at jail. Let’s look at prison. Let’s look at the huge fines. Let’s look at probation or parole
And let me make it clear. You are NOT less-than because of where you are at. You have value. You matter!
But it was not God that put you here. You are suffering from government and God established rules (ultimate control), but you made the choice that got you here.
I am big at “We never blame God”. Just as we have a choice in salvation. We also have a choice in life. God expects us to be responsible and to run our race for His kingdom.
God sends us warnings all the time. “Gregg you’re getting to close to the edge. You’re going to fall.”
I love this illustration from Pastor Greg Locke. “You get in your car and almost right away you hear a Beep-Beep-Beep. It’s the dang seat-belt warning. Do I, in my frustration, just buckle my seat-belt or do I ignore it? I’ve found that if I just ignore it, it will go away after 10 beeps. It’s a warning that just might save my life that day. But is my choice as to whether I heed that warning or not.
Pastors, Teachers, and leaders are all a part of God’s warning system. Through diligent prayer, we get caution and warning signs. Through Scripture, we get very clear warning signs. Use each, all of these.
Your wife didn’t make you drink. Your kids didn’t make you buy drugs instead of dinner. And it’s not even the DA or Judge that put you here. They are just doing their job. And God surely doesn’t want you here. No! it is ultimately your choice that got you here.
But you know what? Here is the good news. No matter what. No matter what you have done. No matter where you are at.
God loves you. He wants what is good for you. He does have plans of good for you.
But, as a just God, He will not just make it happen. He will not make or force anything upon you.
If you seek Him, if you are faithful, and if you are obedient to Him He will reward you.
But if you ignore Him, if you are unfaithful, and if you are disobedient I can pretty much guarantee that your life will have many struggles and discomforts.
So, I ask, whom will you serve today? God or yourself? The choice is yours.
Jeremiah 29:11 (God has a plan. But are you onboard?)
2 Timothy 2:15 & 3:16 (Accurately)
Matthew 4:1 (Even Jesus was tempted by Satan.)
Joshua 24:15 (You have a choice.)
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