Today's Insight - March 20, 2013

Stop the Blame Game
by Charles R. Swindoll

He who conceals his transgressions
will not prosper, but he who confesses
and forsakes them will find compassion.
Proverbs 28:13

Let's not kid ourselves. When we deliberately choose not to stay positive and deny joy a place in our lives, we'll usually gravitate in one of two directions, sometimes both—the direction of blame or self-pity.

The aggressive attitude reacts to circumstances with blame. We blame ourselves or someone else, or God, or if we can't find a tangible scapegoat, we blame "fate."

What an absolute waste!

When we blame ourselves, we multiply our guilt, we rivet ourselves to the past (another "dangling" unchangeable), and we decrease our already low self-esteem.

If we choose to blame God, we cut off our single source of power. Doubt replaces trust, and we put down roots of bitterness that can make us cynical.

If we blame others, we enlarge the distance between us and them. . . . We settle for something much less than God ever intended.

And on top of all that, we do not find relief!

Listen to today's broadcast of Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll at OnePlace.com.
Visit the Bible-teaching ministry of Chuck Swindoll at www.insight.org.