Shifting the blame.  Whether you are a Christian or not, you likely have heard the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible.  The story of how Eve was told by the snake (who was the devil) that she should eat the apple from the tree of knowledge.  After some convincing she then she tells Adam to take a bite.  When God comes to them in the Garden of Eden, they both quickly shift the blame as to why they ate from the tree they were told not to.  Adam said it was Eve’s fault for tempting him.  Eve said it was the snake’s fault for tempting her.  The point is, this story, whether you believe or not, actually demonstrates how we as human beings often behave.

When things don’t quite turn out the way we expected it’s so easy to pass the blame onto someone else.  People are very good at shifting the blame.

Today’s message on prosperous living is the idea of learning to accept responsibility.  When we do something and the results were not what we expected the best thing to do is own up to what you’ve done.  People have a habit of not wanting to accept that they made a mistake and look for other sources to blame.  Excuses like, “Well if I had more time..”, “If she didn’t tell me to…”, “I’m not the one whose idea it was in the first place….” etc.  The list is endless of ways people don’t look to themselves for the reason something may have happened.

Today, if you’ve done something that didn’t quite work out don’t be afraid to own up to it.  Remember that everything in life is a learning experience and that when you refuse to accept responsibility for your actions, you’ll never really learn from the mistakes that have been made.

Use mistakes as teaching moments.  A lesson teaching you how to approach it next time.  When you are able to do that, you’ll live a more prosperous life.