Spirituality and Faith – It ain’t my fault
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Spirituality and Faith
Dr. Jeff Fuller
It ain’t my fault
Ever heard that? Ever said it?
Listening to a country song the other day (yes, sometimes I do listen to other genres of music) and Brothers Osbourne caught my attention. The song speaks of a man who doggedly, humorously refuses to own up to his own actions. He blames improper behavior on a number of things, but it ain’t his fault.
It is that stubborn, prideful, unable and unwilling to accept responsibility for things we have done that causes us to blame our actions on any number of things. I guess we could list off the things which would make that happen, but we all know the list all too well. Yet, I will say that the most offensive inexcusable excuse is “this is the way I am.” A person is blaming their upbringing, their birthright, their parents, their…anything and everything in their past and saying this is what has defined them, making them do these things which they will eventually say, “it ain’t my fault.”
The chorus says:
“But it ain’t my fault
No it ain’t my fault
Mighta had a little fun
Lotta wrong I’d done
But it ain’t my fault.”
In the Bible we find numerous examples of this statement. The individual or group of people did not outright say the phrase, “It ain’t my fault,” but they refused to take blame for the wrong they committed. Think about:
Adam, he said, “The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me ⌊some fruit⌋ from the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12, HCSB)
Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph, and he refused her offer of immoral relations by saying he could not do such a thing against God. She, “put Joseph’s garment beside her until his master came home. Then she told him… ‘The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me, but when I screamed for help, he left his garment with me and ran outside.’” (Genesis 39:16-18, HCSB)
Moses had a troubling past before God called him to lead His people. When he was 40 years old, he became incensed when he discovered an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew slave—so he killed him and buried him in the sand. Instead of dealing with the consequence of being found out, he fled Egypt and began a new life.
These are just a few of those who in Old Testament history refused to take responsibility for their wrong actions, saying in effect, “it ain’t my fault.”
What about in the New Testament? I think of the woman caught in adultery and the men who wanted her stoned (John 8:1-11), Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-2), and the Laodicea Church (Revelation 3:14-22)
Taking responsibility means admitting we have sinned, believing that Jesus is the only way we can have forgiveness, and confessing our sin to God and to others. Romans 10:9-10 reads:
“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10, HCSB)
We have been saved from an old life to a new life in Christ. We are to live as light to a world which needs to see Christ, and they will do so through our actions. May we follow Him and live for Him, revealing a changed life.
“You were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” (Ephesians 2:1-5, HCSB)
Until next time…
Dr. Jeff Fuller is pastor of the Rockford Baptist Church. You may reach him through the church office at 256-377-4900 or by email at rbccoosa@gmail.com.