“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
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve could eat the fruit from any tree they liked — except one. But Eve disobeyed God’s command and ate the forbidden fruit. Adam also ate it. When God confronted them, Adam blamed both God and the woman for his own sin. (“It was the woman that you gave me who brought me the fruit.”) Eve had her own excuse, and she blamed the serpent. (“He tricked me.”)
You might find yourself making excuses for your problems too. The game of “poor me” and “it’s your fault” got started in the Garden of Eden. To this day, people blame their problems on others. They blame their parents, their teachers, and the world in order to shift the responsibility. Some people prefer to believe that something else is controlling the outcome of their lives. However, we must stop blaming others and study our own behavior instead. Take personal responsibility for change. Then you can turn around and head in the direction of God’s good plan for your life.
More To Explore: Genesis 3:6
Girl Talk: Think about a recent problem you had. Where did you place the blame? Did you put the responsibility in the right place?
God Talk: “Lord, it’s so easy to blame others when things go wrong. Help me to take responsibility when it’s my fault. Thank you for loving me no matter what I do. Amen.”
From Shine On, Girl! by Kristi Holl