April 11, The Blame Game

Today’s reading: Psalms 51-55

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge” - Psalm 51:3-4.

David acknowledged that he was wrong, and had sinned against the Lord. There was no blame shifting, no victim mentality, and no rationalizing his sin — David accepted responsibility for what he had done. It is rare to hear anyone be so forthright in holding themselves accountable, for we are all like our parents, Adam and Eve, who played the blame game from the beginning of their Fall: “The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate’” (Genesis 3:12-13). Do you admit when you are wrong? When you are, do you say, “I’m sorry” or “I’m sorry, but . . .” and then go on to list all the reasons why it wasn’t really your fault? Is there something for which you need to apologize and ask forgiveness without trying to justify or rationalize what you did?