Date posted: 01-20-2025
Estimated Reading Time : 5 Minutes
These days, it seems like so many people just want to blame somebody else for how their lives turned out. They claim that, because of the color of their skin or some other thing, they didn’t have the “privileges” that other people did. They think their financial status or their lack of success in life can be attributed to racism or some other kind of “trauma.”
I’ll tell you, some people just need to take their thumbs out of their mouths and grow up!
People need to quit blaming God or fate or other people for all their problems. They think that it’s everybody else’s fault or it’s the way they’re being treated. And then, when their actions turn out to have consequences, they don’t take any personal responsibility. They blame it on how they were raised as a child or something else and claim they’re really the victim.
That’s exactly what Adam did after he ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden—something God told him specifically not to do!
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Notice, instead of admitting to what he had done, Adam passed the buck to Eve, saying, “It was the woman!” Then, Adam actually tried to blame God, saying, “You’re the one who gave her to me!” He just refused to accept responsibility.
The first step to becoming truly free is to quit blaming everybody else for what’s going on in your life and accept responsibility. It’s actually a blessing to discover that you’re the one who’s wrong, because if you’re the problem, you can fix you. In fact, you are the only one you can fix!
This is one of the major issues in our society today. People say, “It’s the color of my skin, and if everyone would just treat me differently, I’d be successful.” That is wrong!
Many people just demand respect. They demand that everybody else treat them a certain way. They’re putting the problem on everyone and everything else. But you see, respect has to be earned. The truth is that the only person holding you back from being successful in life is you!
Our friend Bishop E.W. Jackson was raised in a foster home for most of his childhood and, as a teenager, was spending his time on the streets. He was committing petty crimes as part of a gang. Thankfully, his father stepped back into his life and provided him with structure and purpose. All the same, he could have spent the rest of his life just sitting there and crying about how he didn’t have any opportunities because of the color of his skin.
Instead, E.W. joined the Marines, graduated with honors from Harvard, and became a successful lawyer. Then, after he was born again, he established a church, founded the STAND organization, launched a daily radio program, and campaigned for public office—all without complaining about his circumstances. He’s out there influencing his nation and changing the world, all while giving glory to God. That’s awesome!
You see, Satan cannot do anything to you without your consent and cooperation. If your life is all messed up, it’s not because of what somebody else has done. Other people might have been used by the devil to hurt you, but you still have a choice as to whether you become bitter or better. The moment you say, “You don’t understand. Bad things happened to me, and I had no choice,” you violate the Word of God. First Corinthians 10:13 says,
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
This verse clearly says that we can choose the good instead of the bad. If it weren’t that way, people who have been through the same traumatic experiences would have the exact same results in their lives because of the trauma. And yet, this is not the case.
There can be two siblings with the exact same gene pool who were brought up in the same house and in the same environment, but one will go one way, and one will go the other way. One will become an alcoholic because the parents were alcoholics, while the other one will become a teetotaler and go in the opposite direction.
Now, I’ll admit that bad things happen to people. I’ve had plenty of bad things happen to me, but I didn’t let those things stop me from pursuing the calling God put on my life. I relied on my relationship with the Lord. I understood that I was made a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), and everything I needed to be successful was already available in my born-again spirit. Through Jesus, I am a victor (1 Cor. 15:57) and not a victim!
God is no respecter of persons. Whatever the Lord’s done for me and for Bishop Jackson, He’s willing to do for you!
I believe things are turning around in this nation, and here at Truth & Liberty, we are a major part of that transformation. Working with people like Bishop E.W. Jackson we’re showing that anyone can be successful if they are willing to follow God’s will for their lives.
It’s wrong to blame your environment and blame everybody else for the way you are. Other people may be a factor, but you still have a choice as to how you will respond. You were created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), and you decide whether to become bitter or better—a victim or a victor. The choice is yours!
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