Genesis 3:8-13 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied, “That’s why I ate it.”
Why are you surprised when people do not take responsibility for their actions? Why do you allow yourself to be disappointed or angry when those around you blame others for their decisions, when they lie to make themselves look good? It all started right here. Notice how quickly Adam blamed Eve – his helpmate, his soulmate, his partner – how he instantly blamed her for his own sin when asked if he had disobeyed Me. And, instantly thereafter, Eve blames the serpent. Did Eve share the fruit with Adam after she had eaten some? Yes. Did the serpent lie and manipulate Eve’s thinking in order to entice her to eat of the fruit? Yes. But, ultimately, each of them made their own decisions – making any blame or responsibility for the consequences their own. This is just another facet of the first and most egregious sin – pride. It was pride that caused your enemy to attempt to elevate himself to My stature and cost him everything. It was pride that caused Eve to listen to the serpent and eat of the only fruit forbidden to her – in an attempt to acquire the knowledge that only I had. And it was prideful self-seeking and self-preservation that caused both of them to lie about why they had sinned – throwing the blame on others. Do you not see that everything you see around you is not only not new? It is all from the beginnings of mankind’s existence. So, instead of being surprised or dismayed when you see this exhibited in others, look inward and make sure it is not manifest in your own behavior.
Amanuensis 