Shame Shame I Know Your To Blame!
It's easy to point the finger at others when it comes to taking ownership for mistakes you have made. When are we going to take responsibility for our actions?
I remember when I was younger, I would get away with just about any and everything. I was the baby of the family, cute, and just your favorite person who could do no wrong. I would do things to my brother and he would get in trouble for them, and I would never fess up to what I did. Now that I am 28 the tables have turned and I am no longer able to get away with certain things as easy. My parents had figured me out and realized that my brother had been telling the truth all these years.
I exposed myself to break the ice but also, because some of us are still like that today. We are grown and know better but when it comes to taking ownership we become selective. When we are babies in Christ and still drinking milk and being coddled we don't have the full understanding of what is done willfully ( allowing our flesh to take over knowing that God will be displeased) and what is done because our guard is down . As we mature and work our way up to the meat we have to go through stages, I like to call them growing pains. Through the growing pains we go through highs and lows
We would rather have someone else take the blame. I know some individuals would like to blame the devil for what they did and it usually goes a little something like this: " The devil made me do it", "This ain't nothing but the devil" etc. Those two statements and I am pretty sure that there are more, they are dangerous and powerful. Let us go back to what I have said in previous posts. The power of LIFE and DEATH are in your tongue. You are giving the devil access and power by saying statements that make it seem like he does have as much power as you say.
Before we make a choice there is always some thought that goes into it also known as premeditate. Especially when it pertains to something we know we are not supposed to do. We know that there are repercussions for our actions, but let's be honest sometimes what we ( the flesh) want to do seems and feels one thousand times better than what we know the spirit wants us to do. We don't like to suffer, we want that gratification and satisfying feeling. Whenever I was about to do something that I knew I was not suppose to do, I would always get a nervous/ anxious feeling in my gut. I would always tell myself "this is wrong", "I shouldn't do this... I have to do this so my flesh will be satisfied" ( y'all the urge was that real), I would always cave in and afterwards I would feel embarrassed, ashamed, nasty, I would be so paranoid I felt like people knew what I just did. In reality they didn't know but it was my conscious.
It's when we get caught we play the victim as if we didn't know better and we were forced at gunpoint by the devil and his squad. Let me tell you something, The devil has and never will have as much power over you as you think he does. We serve an awesome God who is so POWERFUL, MIGHTY, and has DOMINION OVER ALL that even at the name is Jesus demons HAVE to flee. We know better but fall subject to sin you let your flesh get the best of you. Mark 14:38; Keep (actively) watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.
It's time we take the blame off of the devil. The devil has NO! and I mean NO power over you ( I had to say that once more). God has given us power over the devil. When you blame everything on the devil it means that you will not take any responsibility for YOUR actions and wrongdoing. Now I am NOT saying that the enemy doesn't bring suggestions, lies or deceit he definitely does, but this is why it is good to know Gods voice so we can rebuke the lies, deception and suggestions of the enemy at the root.
We need to stop blaming the enemy for :
"Yielding to temptation; ignoring the way of escape:Yes, the enemy can be crafty and bring stumbling blocks and temptations our way. God, However, has made an escape for us. The temptation will come but we have the option to either walk in the spirit or give into the flesh.
"Turning a choice into a LifeStyle: We know that our God is a forgiving, loving God and continuously shows Grace and Mercy to his children, with that being said that does not give us a pass to continue to walk and live in sin. We will sin we are human but we know right from wrong, we know what God expects from us. It's when you decide to purposely continue in that sin making it a choice. Your heart becomes hardened and you see no wrong in what you're doing. Now it's a lifestyle and you have no one to blame but YOU! You knew what to do but chose to submit to your self.
"Rejecting wisdom and correctional warning": God sends warnings of sin through the Word of God, He sends Correctional Warnings from our Pastors, Leaders, Loved ones etc, and he sends a conviction from the Holy Spirit. When we reject wisdom and ignore the warnings that are sent to us in different forms ( The Word of God, Pastors, and Leaders in the Church, and The Holy Spirit) we are setting ourselves up to the tactics of the enemy and leave ourselves open and accessible to the devil. Once again no one to blame but ourselves, we knew better but chose not to do better.
" Going into environments we know our flesh can't handle: If you are a recovering alcoholic, want to be set free from listening to secular music, being delivered from masturbation or pornography, why would you place yourself in environments that you know you're not strong enough to withstand the temptation around. It is best to just stay away from those places. Going into those environments you are setting yourself up for failure.
Now I just named a few but there are more......
Its ok if you make a mistake or mess up. It is going to happen. However, it is more so what do you do when you mess up. I have learned that the faster you own up to your mistakes, repent and change you are going to be ok. God knows that we will mess up. If we were so perfect and did no wrong we would not need God. It's time we take back our power and responsibility for our actions. James 4:7 says: So submit to ( the authority of ) God. Resist the devil ( stand firm against him) and he will flee from you. When you cut the enemy off at the door he can't go any further. So Today RIGHT NOW lets cut the enemy off and do better, live better, and take ownership for our mistakes.
Love you Guys...
xoxo Z.M.