The Blame Game

Are you a part of the "blame game?"  Not sure what I am talking about?  Let me explain.  At some point in my life, and I am not sure just where it happened, I became resposibile for my own actions.  Up until that time if I got a ticket for speeding, it was the cops fault.  It I didn't get the hours at work that I wanted, it was because the manager didn't like me.  If something went wrong at home, it was my parents' fault or my wife's fault or my kids' fault.  If I was late getting to work, it was because of the guy who drove so slow in front of me.  It had nothing to do with the fact that I left the house five minutes before I was supposed to be at work, and it was a twenty minute drive!

Some people never reach an age of responibility and go through their whole life blaming everyone, and everything, around them for their circumstances in life.  "Stupid car!  It broke down on me again!"  What we should be saying is "Stupid me!  Why didn't I change the oil in the car instead of spending $100 to go to........?"  They say, "Stupid boss!  He fired me because I was late for work again!"  Insead they should say, "Stupid me!  He warned me three times that if this happened again I would lose my job!"

Part of the process of change for me was the realization that there was only one common denominator between all the things that I was blaming other people for.  That common denominator was me!  At one point in my life I realized that all of those other people couldn't possibly be wrong in what they did to me.  I realized that they were doing what they did to me because of my actions or inaction, my attitudes or my dysfunction!  I realized that if I wanted everyone around me to change, the change needed to start with me first.

What did I do?  I quit praying, "God change them," and started praying, "God change me!"  I adjusted my lifestyle to get places early instead of always being late.  I adjusted my spending to take care of the things I needed to count on in life, like my car, my house, my church, etc, instead of spending to just take care of me!  I actually worked harder at listening to what the people around me said about me, and spent less time telling them how unjust everything is life is!  (Sometimes listening to what they don't say to your face is as telling as what they do say!)

Guesss what happened?  I became more dependable!  I became less irritating to those I had to work with and they actually came to a point that they liked being around me!  I became a better person, a better worker and a better citizen.  Then guess what God did?  He put me around people who were just like I used to be! "Ohhhh!  Poor me!"  Think about it!