In Genesis 3:1-13, when Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit, they tried to hide from God.
But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
In that moment, Adam had a choice: accept responsibility for his actions or blame someone else. Adam chose to blame.
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?”
In that moment, Eve had a choice: accept responsibility for her actions or blame someone else. Eve chose to blame.
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
In our homes, it’s easy to blame each other when we’re afraid or angry or feeling lazy.
- “That toy isn’t mine.”
- “But I didn’t get that box of cereal out of the pantry!”
- “She hit me first.”
- “But he made me angry!”
- “I emptied the dishwasher the last time.”
- “But he never takes the trash out!”
When that moment comes in our homes today, let’s try to avoid starting the blame game. Let’s be honest when we’ve made a mistake or failed to do what we should have done. Let’s make a real difference by stepping up and helping out, even when it wasn’t our responsibility in the first place.
For discussion: When do we find it easy to blame each other? Why shouldn’t we do that? Why is stepping up and helping out the better choice? Can we commit to making our home a blame-free-zone tomorrow?