personal responsibility

It’s God’s Fault

Dr. Mike 2025 , , ,

 
“Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.  Deuteronomy 1:26-27

Have you ever blamed God for your problems?

Have you ever met people who believe they have been given a vision from God to pursue? In pursuing their dream, they experience modest success. As they became more and more successful, their humanity is soon exposed. They began to feel prideful. They began to believe their success was solely due to their awesome efforts. They began to strut their abilities. They began to treat those around them as incompetent fools. Then something unexpectedly happens.

All they have accomplished, soon disappears. Some outside influence cause them to make stressful decisions that displaced their dream. Their vision soon crumbled. In their anger and frustration, they start to blame everyone around them, including God. If God didn’t protect them from harm, then HE must be punishing them is their belief.

It’s the same story throughout history for those of us who haven’t learn to trust God. When you don’t have a strong relationship with someone, you never come to know them. Instead, you project your own worst ideas upon them.

When Israel left Egypt after 400 years of slavery, the people often blamed God for their problems. They would rather return to Egypt as slaves than enjoy the freedom under God. They would have Moses act as an intermediator then develop a relationship with God. So, throughout their journey, they would project their fears and concerns upon God. They blamed HIM for their unpleasant situation rather than trust HIM. They rarely would look at themselves as the problem, but always as the victim. As far as they were concern, it was always God’s fault.

When one lives with unbelief, one will never see God as the solution. HE will always remain as the problem. When one fails to trust God, one will always doubt HIS grace. One will then place greater emphasis on personal manipulation to solve the problem. When one fails to accept personal responsibility, one will only make excuses. Why even attempt a solution if the problem is bigger than themselves is one of their excuses.

When one comes to know God wants what is best for you, you find ways to lean on HIM. You begin to model your life after HIM. You want to experience life the way HE created life to be. You seek ways to develop a more meaningful relationship with HIM. You learn to better communicate with HIM. You are constantly seeking ways to discover more about HIM. HE becomes your rabbi. Your counselor. Your coach. Your hero. Your friend.

God is not out to get you. HE wants you to share in HIS family circle. HIS family business. HIS family ways. HE wants you to become the best you.

No, it is not God’s fault. HE is the solution.

You may be experiencing the pain of poor decisions made by yourself or those around you. You may be experiencing the pain from evil thrown your way. You may be experiencing the pain of living in a broken, beaten, and busted world. A world that ignores God and celebrates anti-divine actions. Yet all these experiences are the seeds God’s Spirit is using to do HIS work. HE is morphing our character after the image of Jesus. Remember, God’s purpose is to prepare you for an eternal home.

Meanwhile, if God has given you a dream. Pursue it. Lean on HIM. He is not the cause of your problems but wants what is best for you. Let HIM lead you. All the obstacles and short-term pains are the hurdles we jump through to become stronger and learn to trust in our heavenly Father. HE is the person who designed you and empowers you to become the best version of you.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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Living Sacrifice

Dr. Mike 2025 , ,

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.   Romans 12:1

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Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.   Hebrews 13:16

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…you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.   1 Peter 2:5

A Christ-follower is called to live a life of sacrifice.

Did Jesus not emphasize this point? If you want to follow HIM, you need to deny yourself and accept the responsibility of carrying your cross (Mt. 16:24). Did HE not teach us this lesson throughout HIS life? And did HE not leave us a strong reminder with HIS sacrifice on the cross?

Do you want to know how mature of a believer you are? Ask yourself. How willing are you to sacrifice your time, money, or resources for another person? No strings attached. It could be a family member or a total stranger. Do you have to fight the sacrificial urge or does it flow through you without a second thought?

Have you ever noticed how a self-centered child will rarely sacrifice themselves for another? Yet as we age, we learn the value of sacrifice as one of the highest acts of love we can perform.

When we marry, do we not sacrifice our own needs to become one with another? As parents, don’t we accept the responsibility and sacrifice for the sake of the children? On the job, don’t we sacrifice our desires for the sake of the team? As grandparents, don’t we sacrifice our resources for the sake of the entire family?

Throughout life one learns sacrifice is the art of loving another.

Yet, what about those who are not willing to sacrifice? The person who always wants to take without giving? The one who always has to have it their way. The spoiled child who grows up being the center of the universe.

Sacrifice is the way of life for a Christ-follower. Jesus demonstrated how sacrifice is about serving others. Most of the time it is always inconvenient. Most of the time it will cost you something. It could be time, money, or even opportunity. If you love someone without willing to sacrifice, are you truly loving that person? Or are you only filling up your own insecurity?

As Christ-followers, we live everyday willing to sacrifice for the sake of others. We consider it an honor to do so. We know who holds us in HIS grip. Our needs and desires are in good hands. We just want others to experience the same grace of God upon their lives. It begins with being a living sacrifice pleasing to God.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

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Is Human Nature Inherently Good?

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , ,

Mark 10:18

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Ecclesiastes 8:11

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

Matthew 15:19

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

Luke 6:45

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Matthew 12:34

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

God is the standard of goodness. Even Jesus acknowledges this when he was called a good teacher. He pointedly stated only God is good. Yet there are many in today’s culture who believe humans are naturally, inherently good. They claim evil is the exception. But is this true?

What does history reveal? Nation’s dictatorships killing innocent people by the millions. Nations hating other nations for no other reason but jealousy or being different. Adults being predators of children. Thieves who would rather steal from others than work for a living. People lying to cover up their shortcomings. Gangs selling destructive drugs to others. Organized criminals looting stores. We could spend the day listing all the ways evil resides and is expressed in and through people.  

What does the Bible reveal about the natural inclination of people?

The emotional heart is the central organ of evil. The spirit that influences the heart needs to be changed for goodness to shine. Only after Satan is removed from the scene as pictured in the Book of Revelations, and humans receive the Spirit of God as outlined in Gospel of John, will goodness become the central core of a person’s life. Until then, the battle to control one’s behavior is a never-ending proposition.   

Thankfully, until that time totally arrives, God has provided us with HIS truth of values and goals as outlined in the Bible which help us to continually reposition ourselves unto the path of proper behavior; plus HE continues to shower us with HIS amazing grace that embraces us with HIS favor until that time arrives.

HIS biggest favor is sharing HIS life with you by living HIS life in you and through you. When we accept the Triune God’s authority in our life, HE comes to live in us. The Bible identifies HIM as the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit enriches us with HIS presence and shares HIS fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. All are the basic values which leads a person to experience the richness of life as God created us to enjoy.

The longer we live, the more we see man’s natural inclination is to lean toward evil. Only when the heart has been changed towards accepting God’s authority (Truth) and HIS Spirit merges with ours, is there a semblance of good. Yes, you can be ignorant of God’s ways and still live them out. (Mankind implementing the Ten Commandments in their lives is a good example). But humans still need to learn good; it doesn’t come naturally. All of us are endowed with the internal struggle to channel good over evil. Its not easy. But the reward of being free to express oneself without harming self or others is the outcome. Otherwise, society will suffer and burn while one person indulges themselves into narcissistic behavior until eventually they find them self, alone, miserable, and empty of any emotional happiness. Which would you prefer?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

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