Making Excuses

"The man replied, 'It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.'"

Genesis 3:12

Here we see the first excuse. The man has been caught red-handed, having eaten the forbidden fruit. He does not try to lie to God. But he does avoid taking responsibility for his action. Notice whom he blames for his sin. First, it was the woman who gave him the fruit. He sinned because of her. But the man is even more clever in his attempt to get out of trouble. It was not just the woman who is the real culprit, but God who gave him the woman in the first place.

We play out this sad and familiar scene time and again in our lives—at work, at home, among our friends and colleagues. When our mistakes, moral and otherwise, are discovered, we try to cover up, to blame others, to make excuses. In this effort, we damage our integrity still further, and we lose the chance to receive forgiveness and to learn from our mistakes.

Are there areas in your life where you are falling short and you know it? Are you still trying to believe your own excuses?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, in the first man's pathetic attempt to excuse his sin, I can see myself so clearly. I do the same thing, blaming others for my sins: my parents, my colleagues, my opponents. Forgive me, Lord, for such silly and unproductive behavior. Help me, by your grace, to admit what I know in my heart to be true. May I speak that truth to you in confession and, as needed, to others.

Gracious Lord, may I be a person of truth today in all that I do and say, even when the truth has to do with my sin. Amen.