It’s All The President’s Fault

SYNOPSIS: Shifting blame for problems is humanity’s national pastime, going all the way back to  Eden when Adam blamed Eve, then Eve blamed the serpent, and the serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on. But Proverbs 19:3 reminds us, “Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the Lord.” Listen up my friend, raging against God or blaming anybody other than yourself is risky business! It’s counter-productive to your personal growth. It reduces you to perpetual victimhood. It keeps you from exercising the one ability that makes you the highest order of God’s creation: personal responsibility. Instead, take ownership of your own flaws and failures and do something about them (cf. Gen 4:7). Whenever you do that, it’s a good thing.

Moments With God // Proverbs 19:3

A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord.

I knew that title would get your attention, depending on which political party you subscribe to!

Now, just relax—I’m not making a political statement. If you were about to get all right wing—chill! If you’re a lefty—same to ya! My point is, whether you’re a conservative or liberal, you probably like to blame. If you’re a part of the human race, you’ve just got that blame gene coiled tight and ready to spring. It’s our national pastime as human beings, going all the way back to the Garden of Eden when Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent and the serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on.

I like the way the Message translates Proverbs 19:3—it doesn’t get much plainer than this:

People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?

Have you ever known anyone to blame God when the mess they were in was the result of their own foolishness? No exaggeration—I meet people on a weekly basis who do that. Perhaps you would have to admit that even you have been guilty of pointing the finger at God?

• Have you ever overspent, or exercised poor financial management, or purchased something you couldn’t afford then blamed God for a bank account that won’t pay the bills?
• Have you neglected the spiritual disciplines—Bible reading, prayer, worship, regular church attendance—then wondered why God doesn’t seem to speak to you in times of distress?
• Have you withheld your tithe and then blamed God for the loss of a job, or unhappiness in your vocation, or a rotten work environment?
• Have you been undisciplined in eating, sleeping, and exercising, then been upset when God didn’t give you a physical healing?
• Have you ever allowed a negative personality trait to go unchecked and then wondered why God doesn’t give you close friends or help you sustain a dating relationship or find a mate?

My guess is that some of you reading this right now are getting mad at me. But raging against me, or God, or blaming anybody other than yourself is risky business! It’s counter-productive to your personal growth. It reduces you to perpetual victimhood. It keeps you from exercising the one ability that makes you the highest order of God’s creation: personal responsibility.

You will notice two key words in that verse. The first one is the word “ruin.” In Hebrew, it’s salap, which means to distort, twist, or pervert. It means to twist the facts or distort reality, and it leads to clouding one’s ability to think clearly. If you are in the habit of casting blame against God, you will end up with twisted thinking and lose touch with what is truly going on.

The second one is the word “rages.” In the Hebrew, it is the word za’ep, which means to fume or to storm. It was used to describe breathing hard or blowing, like a storm blowing in and raging. If you are a blamer, your twisted thinking will cause you to rage unreasonably against the wrong object.

If that is the case with you, quit raging against God, or others, and get mad enough at your own foolish behavior that it leads you to take ownership of it and do something about it. That is taking personal responsibility.

And whenever you do that, it’s a good thing.

Notice how God says this very thing to Cain in the famous line from Genesis 4:7,

If you do what is right, will you will be smiling (TEV). But if you don’t do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.

So seriously consider what God says in terms of your own life. Then, go do the right thing!