When We Step Out God Steps InSample

Don’t play the blame game

How often have you been in a dead-end situation where nothing seems to be working? You have tried everything and still, there is no change; the same things still occur; life goes on just as it always has.

In this Bible Plan, we will consider half a dozen life tactics for coping with times like these. They may not all apply to every situation, but some certainly will. I hope they will stay with you. The first one is: Don’t play the blame game.

Nearly 3000 years ago, the city of Samaria faced a crisis. It was common practice in ancient times to build towns on hilltops because that made them easier to defend. Even so, when enemy forces couldn’t break through, they would starve the inhabitants until they either died or surrendered. And that is what was happening here. Samaria was being besieged, and there was a desperate famine.

A donkey’s head, for example, cost something like $80.00 in our money. I don’t know how much meat you get out of a donkey’s head, but it can’t be very much. And it was forbidden in Old Testament law to eat donkeys anyway. And a third of a litre of dove’s droppings sold for $5.00. Dove’s droppings! One commentator suggests people did actually eat them. Others suggest they were used for fuel. Whatever, it still cost $5.00 for a tiny handful.

The famine even reached the dreadful extreme, appalling almost beyond imagination, of cannibalism.

Well, I hope you or I never confront such chilling circumstances. But we may sometimes face situations where there seems to be no hope, and there is just nothing we can do. We may feel numb and dispirited. Dreadful discouragement may seem to be all around us, so we just don’t know where to turn.

The king felt helpless. He wore sackcloth, an ancient Hebrew symbol of grief and remorse. He looked for someone to blame. Elisha! It was his fault. He had previously allowed the Syrian army to escape when they were at the mercy of the Israelites (2 Kings 6:8-23). So now it was time to do something. Off with his head! (6:31-32).

It is easy to blame others. In fact, in the 21st century, this is happening more and more. Instead of engaging in healthy debate, we resort to unhealthy abuse. But killing Elisha would not have solved anything. Blaming someone else rarely does.

The king even blamed God (6:33). That is the worst thing we can do. More often than not, he is the only one who can help. So many people make the mistake of turning away from God when he is the one who can help us; far better to turn to him instead.

What next?

Think of times when you may have found yourself blaming someone else (including God) instead of facing the issue. What could you have done (or do) differently?