Blaming God

Have you ever gotten bad advice? I have gotten plenty of bad advice in my life time.

Jimmy Fallon asked his audience to tweet some of the worst advice they have ever given or received.

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We have all received bad advice at one time or another Whether it be a resturaant that someone said was incredible or a hiring a mechanic that turned out to be a dud...

Prior to this passage of scripture that is exactly what Job received…He received bad advice from a few people…basically they they said to Job that God was doing this to him because he deserved it.

All of the things that happen in life happen because God causes it to happen. So Job goes to God and basically says God I accept that you are doing this to me because after all God you are the architect in everything that happens.

Job thought he was being Holy but in truth this angers God and he responds with our passage….as a matter fact he spends the rest of the book chastising Job for believing this lie…In the last Chapter God calls out those that have led Job down this path and it is up to Job to pray for them so that God will not punish them.

The crazy thing is that even

Job thought he was being Holy but in truth this angers God and he responds with our passage….as a matter fact he spends the rest of the book chastising Job for believing this lie…In the last Chapter God calls out those that have led Job down this path and it is up to Job to pray for them so that God will not punish them.

The crazy thing is that Job now had the power to help those who had brought God’s chastisement on him

Job did not have to pray…God did not command Job to pray for mercy for these people…Job could have chosen to blame them for all of his woes and seek their punishment…after all who cares about these people I am the one who has lost everything? I deserve to watch someone else suffer…

This is often how we respond in similar situations....but instead he does in fact pray for mercy…Then God bless Job with more than he started with.

This is a beautiful example of what we are all called to do when we are given bad advice or feel like we have the need to blame someone for our problems....

There is bad advice all around us…especially when it comes to being an engaged follower of Jesus.

There are many people that speak of who God is and what He is doing with good intentions but with very little real understanding of scripture.

This comes from not spending time reading scripture and wrestling with its meaning. A lot of people depend on devotional books, celebrity pastors, and popular authors giving advice.

Nothing wrong with this as a matter of fact there is Some good help there.

Some good but a fair amount bad. The greatest piece of bad advice is that which tells us that Everything happens for a reason…a friend dies in a car wreck…God must have needed him in heaven…someone gets cancer…God want to use your illness…while these words are well intentioned they could not be farther from the truth…

However there is also a fair amount bad as well.

Especially when you choose to listen to all those other voices because you simply cannot submit to what God is actually trying to tell you.

People who spend a fair amount of time in the actual Bible and wrestle with its message with other people tend to be able to find peace forgoing blame in difficult situations.

The greatest piece of bad advice is that which tells us that Everything happens for a reason…a friend dies in a car wreck…God must have needed him in heaven…someone gets cancer…God want to use your illness…while these words are well intentioned they could not be farther from the truth…

When we say things like this we are putting blame on God for the evil that is in this world as if God created it.

This is simply not True.

God is the author of a lot of things as he points out in this passage (Creation etc)

But he is not the author of your pain.

Now does He make something beautiful out of our ashes? Yes! God Can make even the darkest of night shine like the morning.

God never intentionally uses Evil to teach us a lesson. The reason this is easier for us to believe is because it is easier to assign blame than to work though questions.

Instead of blaming God in these times He truly wants us to come to Him for answers, even if we will not be able to fully understand that answer.

There is nothing wrong with honest questions pointed to God in times of trouble…Why? questions are welcome but we must not blame God for these things by invoking bad advice that is not helpful and not biblical.

James 1:13-16

New Living Translation Chapter 1

13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

In order to overcome bad advice be willing to wrestle with the why together.

16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

Jacob would not let go until God blessed him…God did not punish Him…yes he did put his hip out of socket…But God honored Jacobs sincere desire to be blessed by God…()

The difference between blaming God and questioning God is determined by whether you want to overcome or overcompensate.

James 1:13–18 NLT

13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. 16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

God will honor honest questioning of why and how.

How do we do this in an acceptable way??

Look for ways to overcome instead of people to blame.

Accept responsibility for your actions

Look for ways to overcome instead of people to blame

Seek answers through scripture in community

Accept responsibility for your actions

Look for ways to overcome instead of people to blame

When we do this we will be more focused on being discipled by Jesus and less focused on any of our circumstances.

making sure that our way is the only way.

I have found that when I have spent more time frustrated people instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead me....or have often spent inordinate amounts of time thinking about people and circumstance that quite frankly I cannot control.

I almost always embrace defeat and fail to move on What God is really telling me.

No more...

I am tired of looking for someone to blame for my lack of faith and am going to go to the word asking God how I can be Holy Spirit filled Christians.

Are you with me? Are you tired of blaming people for why you do not fill the Holy Spirit? Are you tired of finding reasons to be angry?

If you are it is time to come to the altar and say Lord I want to ask you some questions…I want to wrestle with the word of God…I want to be enthralled with you instead of my own self pity.

Will you come to the Altar as a symbolic moment toward asking questions with me?

Not only asking questions but receiving answers from God.

Yes it is time to stop blaming God, other people, pastors, presidents, even self and start asking God to show you a way to overcome.

Come on....

Communion...