The Devil Made Me Do It!

If you are old enough, you probably remember the old Flip Wilson comedy routine?  He would end up his antics and monologue with “The Devil Made Me Do It!” and a sly grin.   We all laughed.  Why?  Because back in those days we still had a society that functioned on the principle of personal responsibility, and we knew it was a laughable excuse.  Today, we see a society that increasingly looks to someone else to blame for their actions and situation.

Let’s look at some examples:

I don’t have a job…it is the fault of the government and greedy businesses automating or sending jobs overseas.  Hmmm…companies need to remain competitive in order to survive so maybe you need to take a job you don’t like, re-train or move to an area where there are jobs you are qualified for?

I’m dying of lung cancer…it is the fault of the cigarette companies for making me smoke even though I knew it was bad for me.  Hmmm…maybe you should have tried or stuck with Nicorette or Chantix longer?  Or maybe just listened to your mother!  Oh wait a minute, she smoked and was your role model...maybe we should blame her?

Here is the latest one I heard today!  I love this lawsuit…I’m in prison for murder because you didn’t tell me alcohol was addictive and would make me do things I shouldn’t do.  Hmmm…Come on?  Really? 

I fully expect the next lawsuit to come soon:  I am fat and have heart disease and diabetes…it is the fault of the food companies because they make me eat too much with their good tasting foods.  They didn’t warn me enough and they have a duty to stop me!

                       

I don’t think anyone really believes that these outcomes were unavoidable or unknown, so why should we think we can blame others for what we are responsible for?  Generally, I think it is driven by greed, and other times by a need to avoid guilt feelings or to punish someone else for our failures…or to just get a “Get Out of Jail Free Card.”

Sadly, we live in an increasingly liberal society that is willing to accept this nonsense that things are someone else’s fault and responsibility.  12 Step program folks will tell you the key to recovery is accepting responsibility!  It is one of the most important elements of the program.  I can just imagine me standing before God and saying “The Devil made me do it.”  How’s that going to fly do you think?  Taking responsibility for our behavior and our faith decisions is probably the single most important thing we can do in life.  Feeling our responsibility is the root of all action!  Jesus’ warning in the book of Matthew 25:37 is plain:  “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?”  We can’t shirk our responsibility in things.  Judgment and consequence will always follow.