When we are angry, hurt and in pain; whether emotional, physical or mental, the first thing we want to do is to blame somebody or something. By blaming someone else gives us the feeling of alleviating some of the burden and pain that we are carrying and feeling. And one of the first and most easy person to blame is God. I think we have all been there at one point in our lives, when we lash out at God and blame Him for everything that as gone wrong. But is He really the blame? Can He be held accountable for every little thing that goes wrong in our lives? I believe God is not always to blame and when we do we alienate the only person that can really help us through our most difficult times and hurts. I admit and I am guilty of blaming God and questioning God, why? But when I sit down and analyze my situation, I realize that God is not to blame. But I realize that He is the one who can help me through any circumstance in life and give me a peace and presence that can only come from an eternal God. He’s not my enemy, but my best friend. Let’s try looking at it in a different light and let’s maybe stop the blame game.
I think we can begin our search and get a better understanding of name-blaming by going back to the beginning of time. Back to when God created the earth and everything in it, including man and woman. It was His intention for humanity to enjoy the beauty, abundance and fruitfulness of creation. In Genesis 3 we read about the fall of man and sin enters the world (it’s here we can do the blaming) because of man’s disobedience to God. It’s because of this fall that we are now separated from God and God’s plan for mankind would be forever changed. Therefore Adam and Eve changed our destiny and relationship with God. And the only way of reconciliation to God would be through the shed blood of HIS son, Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”. So maybe the next time we want to blame God for something, may we remember that it is God who provided for us a way of escape.
Let’s start directing the blame at the real source of evil in our world today, that being Satan himself. I want to quote directly from the Bible because I feel it would be the most powerful and effective attack on Satan himself. John 8;44 ‘…He (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him….for he is a liar and the father of lies’. 1 Peter 5:8-9 ‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’. 2 Corinthians 11:14 ‘And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light’. Ephesians 6:12 ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’. Genesis 3:22 states that in this world there is good and evil, so lets become more aware of the presence of evil and shift some blame to where it belongs.
Many times I believe when we want to blame God, it’s because throughout our lives we were taught to believe that if we came to God all our sickness, troubles, etc will go away. Many (not all) Churches preach what I would call, prosperity preaching. Or others, the ‘name and claim it syndrome.’ Neither of which I believe. I do believe this kind of preaching is dangerous and misleading. And when God fails to prosper us financially or heal us from our illnesses, or doesn’t meet up to what we were taught He was supposed to be, we become bitter and blame God. But God is not a magician, waving a magic wand. I believe God can heal, but not all of us will be healed, nor will we all be millionaires. God’s love for us is not measured by what He can do for us but by what He has already done, by sending His only Son to die for our sins and that’s what truly matters (John 3:16).
So let’s stop blaming God for everything that goes wrong in our lives, it’s then we begin to know God for who He is. He is someone who loves and cares for each one of us and we can give Him all our hurts, cares and sickness. 1 Peter 5:7 says, ‘casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you’.
Many times in life we are faced with much trauma. The death of a loved one is so devastating and hard to understand. But we have to realize that just as birth is a part of life, so is death. 1 Corinthians 15:22 ‘For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive’. It’s one thing in life that we are certain of; that we will die, it’s a part of life. The big question is, Are You Ready? Age has no barrier, sometimes loved ones leave us much too early and we question why and are left with a broken heart and emptiness that just won’t go away. Let’s not blame God for a death but let’s remember He is the one who took away the sting of death. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ‘O death where is thy sting?……. thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’. God is the one who gave us hope, death is not the end, we have hope through Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ‘…and the dead in Christ shall rise first….and so shall WE ever be with the Lord. I’m reminded of my Dad right now because when he preached or talked about the promises of God he would get so excited, with tears streaming down his face, he would praise and worship God for who He was. My Dad lived a hard life with many hardships, struggles and rough times; but that never dampened his love for God. And that is what I’m feeling this morning; an overwhelming presence of God. If it were not for God, the grave would be the end. But we have the hope of the Resurrection. So let’s hold on to the hope that Jesus gives and let go of the blame and hurt.
I am not speaking to you today as someone with all the answers to our questions. But I am pointing you to ‘The Answer’, and His name is Jesus Christ! I am speaking to you from my heart and my own personal experiences in life that have not all been so pleasant. There as been lots of times when I wanted someone to blame and lots of times that was God and for that I am sorry. But I have learned that in life, bad things happen and that we have no control over. What we do have control over is how we respond to them. Through my own mental illness, Lauren’s cerebral palsy and many hardships and struggles; I have to believe that God is in control and He will give us strength for every day. He’s our only hope. I am trying everyday to live the best life I can, in spite of my own illness and life’s struggles. I don’t blame God anymore, I just hold on to His hand a little tighter because there are still days when I feel I’m loosing my grip. But God is faithful, God is GOOD!
