Stop Point Fingers

James 1:13-14 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

Who we really are shows up, not when things are going well and life is good, but when the bottom falls out and life goes sideways. It is when life's pressures begin to squeeze us that we find out what we are really made of, and what is hidden deep within our hearts. When times get tough, those are the times when we are most vulnerable, in respect to complaining, murmuring, and doing and saying things that dishonor God; and are inconsistent with who we claim to be in Christ. Sadly, since the beginning of time, man has had the natural tendency to point the finger of blame toward someone other than himself. Adam blamed God for his own failure to obey God's command, after both he and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. When we are tested by the trials of life and fail, we are quick to blame society, our upbringing, our past struggles, and the hypocrites in the local church. However, who we are really blaming is God. We quickly say, "I'm not blaming God!" Well then, let me ask this...who decided we would be born where we were born, and to the parents we were born to? Who decided that we would have the personality, weaknesses, and strengths we have? Who is the One who has allowed the things that have happened to us in life that were meant to mold and shape us? In all of this, what we always leave out of the equation is that it was man's choice to sin, and that sin, death, and evil has affected man since that time; but God was not the One to blame. As a matter of fact, God gave Adam the one loving command that would have protected him, Eve, and all of mankind, had he simply loved God enough to obey Him. This is an age old story. We stumble and fall in the midst of testing because we allow our flesh and our own desires to dictate our decisions and actions. Our lack of love for, and obedience to, God is what leads us down the path to sinning against Him, when our faith is being tested. We would experience greater growth in the process God is putting us through, in making us more like Jesus, if we would just start out by taking responsibility for our own faults and failures, and stop pointing the finger at everyone else, especially God.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).