Genesis 3:12-13 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
I’ve always anticipated the first day of school, whether as a student, a homeschool teacher, or as a college professor. But this year proved to be a bit ridiculous.
That morning, I dressed in my favorite outfit, grabbed my bag and headed for Lancaster Bible College to begin a new semester. The fact that I found a parking space so easily should have alerted me. But it didn’t.
I quickly rushed up the stairs to find my new classroom. But when I opened the door, one of the librarians was there instructing new student-workers. She looked at me quizzically when I told her I needed to prepare the room for class. “What class are you teaching?” she asked. I explained my Public Speaking class would be starting in 20 minutes. “Classes don’t start until next week!”
I felt like the absent-minded professor on steroids. As I walked back to the parking lot, my only consolation was that a week early beats a week late!
We all make mistakes, don’t we? I think how we react to our mistakes can sometimes be as significant as making them. We can beat ourselves up and dwell on how stupid we are, hoping we’re not getting Alzheimer’s. We can laugh about our blunders when they don’t hurt anyone or anything other than our pride. (Yep, my husband thought my miscalculation was hilarious!)
Or when we mess-up, something far more serious can occur. We can refuse to acknowledge it and try to pass the blame on to someone else. Blame-shifting has been around since Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Adam even insinuated his sin was God’s fault because God gave him the woman!
People who consistently blame other people for their mistakes experience stunted growth. Oh, they may offer an occasional “my bad,” but they never really take responsibility. And eventually, like Adam, they end up on the other side of Eden.
I pray you always take responsibility for your mistakes and either repent or laugh. Whatever your blunder.