Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:8-10, NKJV))
We don’t have to look far to find examples of people blaming someone else for their trouble. Children blame each other for the spill, spouses blame their mates for the marital problem, and drivers blame the other person for the accident. Who or what is really to blame? How can I find relief from my pain?
We can blame our circumstances for our behavior, or we can even blame our background and the way our parents raised us. Is that really the reason for our rage, hostility, resentment, and hate?
We can remove ourselves from a bad situation, leave the people who hurt us, or find relief in a multitude of distractions this world offers. But remember that is relief, not healing. It is like taking a pain pill for a problem that needs surgery. You find temporary relief but not healing. Healing happens when you go to the source of the pain and cure it.
Where you turn for help, when you are hurting, will determine whether you find relief or healing for your pain. You can go to a counselor with either a humanist or a biblical perspective. A humanist counselor will tell you that anger and bitterness is caused by the way you’ve been treated. A biblical counselor says that these characteristics are caused by sin. If you fail to deal with the sin, any relief you experience is like taking a pain pill for a toothache without fixing the tooth.
The questions really is: Do you want someone to blame so you can find some temporary relief or are you ready to find the real cause of your pain? Go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to guide you to a cure. Your prayer might be:
“Lord, I’ve spent my whole life blaming someone else for the way I react to situations. I admit that I react negatively when I do not get my own way. Give me the courage to look deep within myself for the cause of my reactions. Show me the sin that lies within so that I may confess it, give it to you, and accept your forgiveness as healing. Give me your healing and not the world’s relief.” Amen.