In my last post I talked about choices. We all make choices, but that is only have the battle, because each choice has a consequence, a result. When we make bad choices, we get bad results. When we make good choices, we get good results. But what really matters is how we handle the consequences, do we take responsibility?We are responsible for our choices, whether we like to think we are or not. In today’s culture, it is common for many to think they are not responsible for their actions, for their choices. They like to believe that it is okay to make a bad choice since someone else will bail them out. Here in the United States that usually means the government. 

The government encourages irresponsibility.  Look at Obamacare. Everyone gets healthcare. If you can’t afford it, that’s okay, the government will provide it for you. How? By charging everyone else to pay for you. On the surface it seems all well and good, until you realize you are paying for other people’s bad choices. If someone gets pregnant, you are paying for their abortion. They made a choice to get pregnant, now you have to pay to kill the baby. (And for you out there who will argue that people who are raped or subject to incest don’t make a choice to get pregnant, you are right. But for the other 99.9% of women who have abortions, they made the choice). You may not smoke, do drugs or drink to excess, but you are going to pay for the people who do and get sick. They will get medical treatment on your dime, for their bad decisions.

These people make bad choices but are not responsible for the results of their actions. I guess the question is, what about you? Are you responsible for your choices? To you accept responsibility or do you blame someone else? How about when you sin, do you take responsibility or do you try to pawn it off on someone else? Did the devil make you do it? Do you blame God?

First of all, God doesn’t make you do anything. Yesterday I talked about what I think God’s plan is for all of us. God has given us free will, He doesn’t make us do anything. Satan on the other hand can. He will tempt us in so many ways to get us to sin. I know, I learned the hard way on that. But do you know something? Even when Satan threw temptation my way, I still had a choice. I could have rejected Satan. I could have said no. But I didn’t. And now I take responsibility for my actions.

I don’t blame God, I don’t even blame Satan although I know it was his doing. I still made the choice to sin. I don’t blame the one who I committed adultery with, even though she was the aggressor, I was more than willing. I don’t blame anyone but myself for my prior alcohol problem. No one forced me to drink, no one put that bottle in my hand except me. I made the choices, I take the responsibility.

Imagine a world where every one took responsibility for their actions. Where politicians admitted it when they were wrong. Where people would own up to their mistakes and try to fix them. We will always have sin. Satan will always be there, but taking responsibility for our actions, our bad choices, will go a long way to removing the Evil One from our lives.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one.” – James 1:13