Don't blame the devil for your mistakes, own them yourself!
Remember Flip Wilson playing the character of “Reverend Leroy “pastor of the “Church of What’s Happening Now,” and “Geraldine Jones,” the sassy African-American woman in a miniskirt? His characters were always blaming their bad behavior on the devil. That famous line, “The Devil Made Me Do it.” was hysterical! It was funny as I watched it as a kid, but as an adult, I see people blaming the devil for every serious mistake they make. As Wayne Stiles, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer at Insight for Living wrote, “In the Garden of Eden, God confronted the first man and woman after they sinned, and their reaction set the course for an entire race of blame-shifters.
The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:12-13, emphasis added)
I remember listening to an argument a few months ago that left me dumbfounded! This particular man accused his wife of forcing him to stray outside of their marriage because he claimed she wasn’t a good housekeeper, was a lousy cook which forced him to go find a woman who could perform these important “wifely duties”. She fought back the tears and informed him that in her mind, he wasn’t exactly her Casanova! She didn’t like how overweight he was, thought he was inept at fixing things around the house and resented how he ignored their boys. She went on to say that she deserved a man who could love her for who she was and was willing to work with her and that she was going to seek this man out! Man oh man did that get his attention! At first he blamed his wife. Then he made a startling statement, “I have not been myself lately. It’s like the devil is living inside of me.” Wow! At least he saw the damage he had done. This couple finally worked things out and now enjoys a great marriage. They work together as a team on the issues that had them at their wit’s end.
We give the devil to much credit, when it’s actually our own bad decisions that make a mess of our lives. When we know right from wrong and we still go the wrong direction, it is we who pays the price for doing the wrong thing. Yes, I know when we decide to follow the little voice that tells us, “its OK no one will care and no one will know” that we then manage to justify our actions and set the process in motion for certain disaster! When we choose to do wrong we ignore the questions. “If no one knows what I’m doing then what’s the harm? It’s OK to do this, heck everyone else is, why not me?” When in truth, we know very well that what we are doing is wrong. Most people don’t get caught in their deceit. That is why they continue to live a life of discreet danger; for the thrill and excitement.
It’s so much easier to blame someone or something and not take responsibility for our actions. When we do something wrong we need to admit it and correct it right away. Believe me, no one gets a pass on temptation. Some of the most respected people I know will tell you they have had to face their own bad choices and own up to them. More often than not, we are our own worst enemy. Again, we all make our share of mistakes but when we deny what we have done it will only makes the problem worse and people will question your motives and actions. I see it happen all the time.
That’s when we have to look at ourselves and be totally honest. Why do we do the things we do? The first step in fixing the problem is admitting we are at fault and speak the truth to ourselves. Do you need help in this area? Then contact Dr. Mike today! He can help you get your life back on the right track!
Master Life Coaching, Divorce coaching and counseling is affordable, accessible, anonymous and available by appointment from the privacy of your own home. Avoid travel time and never leave the comfort of your home to meet with me. I have many out-of-state clients who prefer to meet over the phone or via Skype. The convenience of this type of coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live out of the Denver-metro area or are out of the state of Colorado.