“A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.” (Proverbs 19:3)
We’re meeting a lot of fools this week, including this one: The person who can’t take credit for hurting himself.
The thing about folly is that it doesn’t work, right? God’s way—the way of wisdom—isn’t just the spiritual thing to do, it’s the thing that works. Living life his way leads to more happiness, more success, more peace, more of everything that’s good.
Living life by my own rules to please myself, to prove myself, to show them all that I can make it on my own. That’s folly, and it doesn’t work. It leads to less happiness, less success, less peace, less of everything good.
But the fool doesn’t see it that way. The fool shoots himself in the foot and blames God for allowing guns to be invented. He drives away his family and friends with his out of control temper and blames God (and them) for their lack of loyalty. He ruins his life and hates God for letting it happen.
Ouch.
Think: Why do you think it’s so easy for us to blame God or others for things we do to ourselves? What would it take for us to be more honest with ourselves?
Pray: Ask God to help you to take responsibility for any pain you bring into your own life and then ask him to help you to learn wisdom from those mistakes.
Do: Look for examples this week of people foolishly blaming others for things they did to themselves.