Historical Posts
Passing the Buck
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).
Will Rogers once said that there have been three periods of American history, “the passing of the Indian, the passing of the buffalo, and the passing of the Buck.”
We are living in the third period.
No one wants to accept responsibility for mistakes We do our best to pass the blame to someone else. As a result, offenders are never guilty. Parents, teachers, poverty, society or the church are at fault. God forbid we should hold a person responsible for his choices.
The same thing happens in the home. Wives never make mistakes. It’s the man’s fault. Men do the same thing. As one poet put it, “He wrecked his car, he lost his job, and yet throughout his life, he took his troubles like a man and blamed them on his wife.”
It’s an age old problem.
When Adam was confronted in the garden, he replied, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12). There is even a fable which tells of Adam and his son, Seth, hiking one afternoon when they came upon a beautiful valley. Seth said to his father, “Dad, why don’t we live there.” Adam replied, “We did, son, until your mother ate us out of house and home.”
What did Eve say when questioned about her sin? “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:13). In other words, “It’s not my fault!”
God did not accept their excuses. He will not accept ours either.
He has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. When that day comes there will be no “passing of the buck.” We will each give an account of our life. If we are lost, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
It’s time to take charge of your life
Accept responsibility for your decisions, and stop blaming others when you mess up. God will understand our mistakes and forgive us when we repent, but He will not accept our excuses.
- Read your Bible.
- Believe it!
- Obey it!
- Live it every day.
Stop making excuses!
— Roger
Content by Roger Rush
Visit Roger at the 6th and Washington Street Church of Christ in Marietta OH.
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