Why Do Addicts Blame the System or Other People for Their Own Decisions?
Everything good that we have is God’s gift to us. Every smile, every bit of laughter, every ray of sunshine, every comforting breeze, every drop of water, every flavor on our taste buds. Each of these splendid gifts are God’s creative gift bestowed upon us to make us smile. The vibrant color of the flowers in the fields, the refreshing smell of a torrential summer downpour, the overflowing heart of a mother loving her child, the terrific and overpowering joy of a goal achieved, a first step accomplished, a child pouring forth laughter. Every good thing that we have ever experienced is a gift from the God who gave us life.
Every bit of pain, every addiction, every sorrow, every doubt, every downfall, is of our own doing. While God created beauty and every good thing, He gave it to us to do with it what we wanted. In turn, we created darkness, selfishness, and evil. The pain we experience, the doubts we have, the hopelessness we feel, are all self-generated. They are the result of our rebellion, the result of us denying and defying God, His goodness, His word, and His ways. Sin wages war against the soul. God warns us not to indulge in it. Not because He doesn’t want us to have fun, but because He knows it is a lie, it is hollow, and deceitful. It cannot satisfy in the way that He can. It will only leave us empty and needing more. It will arrest our development, leaving us impaired, incapable, and incompetent.
Sin works in us to accomplish its purposes in the world. It wants to use us like an instrument to make the world a darker place. When we given into temptation, we let it. There are natural consequences to our actions. When we smoke it affects the way we smell and how well our lungs work. When we drink it affects our mental clarity and our productivity levels. The more we use any substance or vice, the more dependent we will become on it. When we try to break the law of gravity it pulls us down. When we try to break civil laws we pull society down. When we keep breaking those laws we get put in the system and we pull ourselves down. How long are we going to ignore the consequences of our actions? Just because we deny the consequences doesn't mean we can defy them. Just because we get away with it a few times doesn't mean it won't catch up to us.
“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”
—1 Peter 2:11 (NIV)
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.”
—Colossians 1:21-23 (NIV)
Discussion Questions
Have you ever been convicted when you believed you were innocent? How did this make you feel? Can you describe the situation?
Do you think it is truly beneficial to justify ourselves when we’re in the wrong, or does it simply lead to blaming others rather than taking responsibility for our own actions? How often do we do this with God?
Have you ever blamed others or the system, your family, your upbringing, or your education for choices or decisions that you made? Did it work out for you, or did you just keep repeating the same choices, expecting different results?
Are you blaming someone else for the problems in your life, for your life situation, for your workload, or for your stress levels? Is that response helping you at all, or is it causing more harm?
What do you think would be a better approach that might actually help address your problems?