Take Some Responsibility
- Tyler Edge
- Jan 24, 2024
- 4 min read
We play a very dangerous game, one which has eternal consequences when not only do we choose to sin, but we also blame others for the consequences that come from it, this is the exact opposite of confession.
We live in a world that no longer prioritizes self-accountability. There is a prevalent mindset in today's culture that is referred to as the "Mindset of Victimhood", and is defined by psychcentral.com as, "A victim mentality is when a person feels like a victim across situations, even when the evidence suggests otherwise. They may feel they have no control over what happens to them". This mindset is as dangerous as it is absurd. Today my goal is to look at how this mindset has wormed its way into our churches, and the lives of many Christians. Though this mindset is very common in today's world, it is not new. We see an example of this in Genesis 3:12 after Adam decides to eat the fruit that was offered to him by Eve. Adam is approached by God who knows full well what Adam has done, and he is tested with a question. The immediate response of Adam is to blame the woman and even more heinously, God. We see that the second reaction(after shame) is to shift the blame to others. Doesn't this sound a bit similar to the "victim mentality" that we established in the first paragraph of this article? Adam blames Eve for his mistake, even though the evidence makes it clear it was as much his fault as it was hers.
This is a response that is not unique to Adam and happens many more times throughout scripture. It is clear through scripture that this is a bad thing, that we are accountable for our actions even if we do not feel like we are. The massive issue that comes about from this is that in our modern culture, it is something that is celebrated. We live in a time that not only tolerates but champions those who claim to be "victims". My goal here is not to comment on the political or cultural aspects of this poisonous mindset, but more on the spiritual issues that come from it.
Let us get more Biblical, Romans 14:12 says, "So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God." This is a short and to-the-point verse from Romans. It makes it clear that we will stand before God and give an account of our OWN actions. There will be nobody else there for us to blame, and even if there were, God would see through our deceptions just as He saw through Adams. As a believer, we must start with this foundational Biblical truth. We are sinners and nobody forced us to sin. We are partial to sinning, we enjoy it! Paul says in Romans 7:15, "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." We play a very dangerous game, one which has eternal consequences when not only do we choose to sin, but we also blame others for the consequences that come from it, this is the exact opposite of confession.
As Christians, we are called to self-accountability. I want you to say something to yourself and see if you agree with it or not. Repeat after me, "I am a sinner, I choose to sin and I am fully responsible for the consequences that come with my decisions.". What was your response to that? Did it sting? Or did you cast it off to the side and deny that the statement was true? If you were the first response then praise God for your clarity and understanding of foundational scriptural truths. If you were the second one, then perhaps there needs to be some self-reflection.
The "Nelsons New Illustrated Bible Dictionary" says this about accountability, "ACCOUNTABILITY — the biblical principle that we are answerable to our Maker for our thoughts, words, and deeds. The Bible plainly teaches that “the whole world [is] accountable to God” (Rom. 3:19, NASB) and that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). This means we cannot experience God’s Grace until we first see ourselves as sinners who are without excuse. Christians are accountable to God individually (Rom. 14:12), and corporately as well, “for we are members of one another” (Eph. 4:25). All who know Jesus Christ as their Savior are forgiven for the penalty of their sins. They also receive the strength to fight the presence of sin in their lives (Gal. 5:16–25). Thus, our accountability is matched by God’s grace and Forgiveness."
I pray as we continue, perhaps we are finding ourselves a little more in agreement with one another. If we take responsibility for our sins, having full knowledge that we are deserving of eternal punishment, yet by confession and faith in the sacrifice of Jesus we are saved, then we are in a good place. A Christian has no place for a victimhood mentality. We are sinners, we choose to sin, and we played no part in our deliverance from this. We are accountable for all that we do, and we are accountable for the consequences that follow those decisions. We confess the mistakes we make, we cling to God who is good to keep us, and we try to do better next time. In all efforts, our main desire is to be pleasing and honoring to God. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Let us strive for that, through confession, and an earnest thirst and hunger for Him.
Take responsibility, Christian, do not make excuses.
Side Note: As I understand the climate which we live in I would like to make it abundantly clear that there are victims in this world. Many times there are things that happen to us as a result of others' sins, and those are not our fault. That is not what this article is addressing, so if you’re offended by that, stop.
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