Day 41 — The Blame Game

Psalm 34:1 (LB) – ‘I will praise the Lord, no matter what happens.’

Psalm 34:19 (LB) – ‘The good man does not escape all troubles—he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one.’

For most of us, life has not turned out exactly as we planned. We set out with one idea of our future, but often things fall short or don’t look like we envisaged. When things fail or fall short when we have suffered a loss, we enter a time of mourning and grieving, but what happens next is the game-changer. Often we get into a blame game, blaming those around us, the government, the economy, even God, but how one transitions to the next stage of life is critical.

Saul was the first anointed King of Israel, yet when his life spiralled out of control, he looked for who to blame. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul turned from God’s plan to his own and entered into a time of blame and resentment, which eventually led to his demise. Saul turned from embracing David (the conquering hero) to hating him, blaming David for his failings, and ultimately resenting God.

In contrast, David suffered pain and loss, blamed himself – and at times God –  but did not stay in that place. He exclaimed in Psalm 34 ‘I will praise the Lord, no matter what happens’.

As we journey seasons of loss, know that it is natural to blame oneself, to blame others, and even our Heavenly Father…this is part of the natural grieving process. Our brains try to find order in the chaos, and if you can find something or someone responsible, that stops the situation feeling so out of control. The important thing is not staying in that place and allowing God to transition you to the next phase of the healing process.

Prayer: Lord, help us to find peace in our pain, forgive ourselves and others where we have held on to resentment, and transition us to a new season of peace.

Zoe & Andy Clark-Coates
mariposatrust.org 
soultears.org