Chris Harrell

One of the most consequential indoctrinations of this present era is the advanced science of blame-shifting. Generally speaking, we have forgotten how to take responsibility for our own errors, misjudgments, poor decisions and sins. Watch, for example, how rarely we see individuals on social media apologize. We all blow it. No one on earth gets it right all the time and no one is a bigger pretender than the one who acts like he or she is always right. As James teaches, the one who does not sin with his or her mouth is a perfect individual, able to control the whole body as well. If you’re anything like me, you’ve proved well UNable. Yet even in this universal human condition, we seem to be unable to get the words *I’m sorry* or *I blew it* or *that was on me* out of our mouths. Sometimes it’s not that we’ve forgotten. It’s because we know we’re going to get a double skewering when we do. People pile on in with, that’s not enough! Or, how about the time you did so-and-so! But that’s where we have to leave it to them to take responsibility for their own addiction to rage. There’s also the reality that far fewer people see the apology than saw the mistake and we’re asked for eons if we’re ever going to apologize. I don’t think we have to keep doing it over and over. It will never be enough anyway. Sometimes we just have to take the hit and move on with deeper humility. Social media is by no means the only place we see a compulsive unwillingness to take responsibility. I’m a big proponent of seeking reputable therapy to sort out, for instance, why we were inclined to make such disastrous, self-destructive & other’s-destructive decisions. But, in doing only this, we stop too soon and deep healing eludes us. We will never genuinely change if we constantly shift blame. It will not only affect the big situations but the everyday inability to simply say, *OK, I blew it there. I’m sorry.* I’ll wrap this up with what’s most at stake. If we don’t take responsibility, we won’t repent. If we won’t repent, we can’t be refreshed. I say this as one who is old and has made all the mistakes. Based on our inclination to often avoid it at all costs, I don’t think we realize the sheer gift from God we have in repentance. With sufficient self-awareness, we could humbly and sincerely repent, find grace and mercy at God’s throne and, see Acts 3:19, times of refreshing come upon us. Honest to goodness, one enormous reason why we’re so harshly judgmental, dried up spiritually and meaner than snakes is our chronic resistance to repentance. That said, I take full responsibility for this gargantuan, overly wordy post and, well, I’m sorry. :)

Tarleton State Men's Basketball adds Elon transfer Isaac Harrell Read more - tinyurl.com/d9hu9hpu