Bible Passage: “The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.” (Ezekiel 18:20 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 18:1-32
Men often love a good reason. Rationality is often seen as a core character trait of masculinity. Away with emotions! In with reason and logic. Give us our “because”!
Because.
Perhaps one of the most dangerous words men can know. It pretends to give legitimacy to something. To ground a word, deed, attitude, plan, or reaction in some plausible logic.
“Because” suggests causation, a prior circumstance that justifies and warrants whatever it is we have brought to a situation.
Unfortunately, because is often an excuse. It’s a clever bit of sleight of hand, a distraction from responsibility, an escape hatch from the need to admit that we might have ignored or side-stepped responsible action.
We are often told that we are a product of our nurture. That the circumstances around us, that we were raised under, that we endured through our relationships, have turned us into who we are today. We are this way because these things happened to us. It is never our fault.
There may be truth there, but that does not allow us to escape responsibility.
This is especially true when it comes to our relationship with God. We do not get to point a finger of because at anyone else in order to lift the responsibility from our own shoulders. The blame for our spiritual state, good or bad, cannot be diverted to upbringing, relationship struggles, or any other circumstance.
Ezekiel 18:20 reminds us that God holds each of us individually accountable. We do not get to take someone else’s credit or to lay blame at the feet of another. Whatever righteousness or wickedness is expressed in our lives is our responsibility.
Wherever our walk with God is, this verse reminds us that today, this day, this moment is ours to own in our relationship with God. We must stand up and declare that we are the ones on whom the responsibility falls, and we will shoulder it like men, despite the opportunities to thrust the weight onto another.
Prayer: Father God, it is so much easier to blame someone else, to hold someone else accountable for my own circumstances. Help me to see my responsibility and to step into it with determination and strength. Help me to own the moments of my life with you. Amen.
Reflection: Have you ever tried to pass responsibility for your own actions or circumstances on to others? How can you take more responsibility for your spiritual growth?
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