It seems a man is flying in a hot air balloon, enjoying the beautiful blue clouds, the green grass and the majestic mountains. Being caught up in all of the beauty surrounding him, he realizes he is lost. He reduces his height and spots a man down below. Lowers the balloon further down, getting closer to the ground, he shouts: "Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?"
The man below looks up, shielding his eyes from the bright sun and says: "Yes. You're in a hot air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field."
"You must work in technology," says the balloonist.
"I do," replies the man. "How did you know?"
"Well," says the balloonist, "everything you have told me is technically correct, but it's no use to anyone."
"You must work in business."
"I do. How did you know?"
"Well", says the man on the ground, "you don't know where you are, or where you're going, but you expect me to be able to help. You're in the same position you were before we met; only now it's my fault."
We can do all we want, casting blame on others, attempting to get out of the trouble we find ourselves in, but still not get the answers we really need. This is what is going on in America today. Democrats blame Republicans; Republicans blame Democrats; Wall Street blames the former administration; Congress blames the Big Three; American oil blames foreign oil dealers. It is an endless cycle. We point fingers, wave our hands, run our mouths and yet come up with nothing new to solve the problems.
The same is true within the family unit. Husbands blame wives for disorganization within the home; children blame their parents for their dysfunctional lives; one generation blames another generation for their present problems. Society has so engrained within us that we are not responsible for our own decisions or actions. Talking heads, from the media to the psychologist, insist the reason we are the way we are is because of someone else’s decisions or actions.
Friends, the Bible says we are responsible. We are responsible for our own decisions and our own actions. Within the sacred pages of God’s Holy Word we find the truth that when a man sows a seed, he reaps a harvest. This harvest will be good or bad, depending on the seed planted. This is why it is so vital for us to confess our sins, not the sins of others.
For us to live at peace with each other is to take responsibility for our decisions and our actions, live our lives in such a way as to be pleasing to God and allow God to direct our lives so our decisions and actions will be pleasing to Him.
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