The Fine Art of Passing the Buck

How easy it is to blame others!

Husbands and wives blame each other for their infidelity – “She doesn’t love me” – “All he ever does is work!”  Young people who are rebellious blame their parents – “The times are different now.”  Alcoholics blame their troubles on the effects of alcohol – “I’m not at fault.  I shouldn’t have to go to jail for the wreck that killed two people because I was drunk.”  Persons in jail or in prison, and also liars and the thieves, blame their actions on societal conditions – “Life is full of problems.”  The violent person points his finger at someone else – “He started it!”  The poor student blames his bad grades on others – “The teacher was unfair.”  Presidents blame their problems and failures on the previous administration.

It is true that hereditary factors, social background, financial status, and numerous other environmental conditions can have an adverse impact on everything we think, say, and do. The Bible never said that life in this world is fair. What it does say is that no matter how unfair it is, we can by conscious choice, and by joining hands with God, assume full responsibility for our lives and move forward and upward.

We have multitudes of ways to cop out, to pass the buck – and every one of them involves blame shifting! People have done this since the dawn of creation when Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. Perhaps all of us have been guilty of passing the buck occasionally (or as politicians say, “kicking the can down the road”). It is simply a way of refusing to take personal responsibility for our actions and failures. Here are four ways people frequently pass the buck:

SUBSTANCE ABUSE:  Alcohol is our nation’s most abused drug. The key that unlocks the front door to our nation’s ABC stores is one of the keys that unlock the gates to our nation’s cemeteries.  In 2011 alcohol dependence and abuse cost the U.S. well over $220 billion, when the amount spent to combat cancer was $196 billion. More than 14 million U.S. adults have serious issues with alcohol, and 8.1 million of them officially suffer from alcoholism. Nearly seven million minors live with an alcoholic mother or father. And the alcohol statistic that should shock Americans most is the fact that 500,000 children between the ages of nine and twelve are addicted to alcohol.

Some recent posters that were used to combat drunk driving:  (1) “Think of your best friend.  Now think of your best friend dead.”  (2) “If you’re going to drink and drive tonight, don’t forget to kiss your mother goodbye.” Americans need to recognize that alcoholism is a social issue, an economic issue, and a moral issue.

SELF-PITY AND SUICIDE:  We lump these two together because they are both destructive ways of handling rejection and failure. Self-pity leads to isolation because its victims refuse to believe that anyone really cares – “No one understands me” – “My problems are too complex and insurmountable” – “The situation is hopeless.”  Actually, where there is a will, there is a way; and where there is no will, there can still be a way – but it usually involves getting help from outside sources. That is why it is so important to encourage people by letting them know you care.

REBELLION:  While some people react to stress by venting their anger inward, others direct it outward. Young people are especially prone to lash out at those in authority when they feel their freedoms are threatened. Most of the time rebellious behavior is rooted in a distorted understanding of what freedom is, and how we should exercise it. We overcome the destructive spirit of rebellion by learning how to do two things: (1) Forgive others, (2) Accept responsibility.

APATHY:  The most effective tool in Satan’s arsenal is the careless attitude called apathy. If he can infect our lives with apathy, all other good and noble intentions will fall by the wayside.  People who are apathetic fail to seize the opportunities for growth and service which come from God. Once an opportunity has passed us by, it may never come again. Most successful people will tell you that they simply took advantage of the opportunities that were offered them.

Before you succumb to any of these cop-outs, please remember: IT IS YOUR LIFE; DON’T BLOW IT!