Today we live in an age of irresponsibility, where no one wants to admit that their problems are their own fault. No problem we have is ever considered our fault anymore; it’s always somebody else’s problem. We blame others—the government, the media, our parents, the schools, our DNA, and the environment—everything but ourselves.

As a pastor, you probably see this regularly in your ministry. 

The truth is that we bring most of our problems onto ourselves. We just need to accept responsibility and quit blaming others. Every time we blame somebody else, we’re not admitting what the real problem is.

Not only is that a message to pass on to the people you lead, but it’s also critical that you remember it as well. 

If you’re facing temptation right now, you’re never going to find freedom until you stop fixing the blame and start fixing the problem. Stop blaming other people! Even when other people have hurt you, it’s your reaction that’s causing the problem.

It’s amazing to me that some people even try to blame God for the messes in their lives. But God’s will never contradicts God’s Word. 

If God says, “Don’t do that” in the Bible, he will never tell you “yes” through a feeling. It doesn’t matter how good the feeling is—when you listen to your feelings instead of God’s Word, you’re walking straight into a trap. One of the most common excuses to justify a multitude of sins is, “God wants me to be happy, and this will make me happy.”

God wants you to be happy. But God wants you to be holy more than he wants you to be happy. He wants you to obey him. You will never be totally happy when you ignore God’s will.

In fact, you’re heading for destruction when you do that. The rules and principles in the Bible are not there just to make life miserable. They’re there for our own good.

The happiest people in the world are those who hang on to what God says and follow it, regardless of what their feelings say.