Idiot proof

I will bear the blame (Genesis 43:9).

We want things to be idiot proof. When you accidentally delete something from your computer, you want some kind of safeguard that makes it possible to undo your mistake. Most sports have several judges who watch the action from different angles to minimize the risk of issuing a bad call. Drivers rely on cruise control to keep them from driving too fast or too slow.

Our world is a complicated place where things are always changing, sometimes very quickly. It’s way too easy to get confused, act carelessly, or misjudge a situation. Some days it can feel as if you are jumping from one floating piece of ice to another, trying avoid a fall into the frigid water beneath you. So we want safeguards in place to protect us. Our government has grown huge, employing people to issue warnings about unhealthy food, dangerous toys, and risky travel. There are more laws on the books than anyone can possibly remember, most of them written to protect us from careless and irresponsible behavior.

We want to be protected from the unpleasant consequences of foolish behavior. We want a world where someone else makes sure that we cannot get stuck in trouble. And if bad things occur, we whine and moan and threaten to sue somebody for not stopping it from happening.

Sadly, most people are not willing to take personal responsibility for their lives. It is easier to blame someone else than to blame yourself. But the USDA cannot stop you from eating rancid meat—you are responsible for what goes in your mouth, no one else. Microsoft is not to blame if you delete essential files from your computer.

People have been blaming others for their own mistakes ever since Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. Such behavior angers God, who expects each of us to be accountable for our actions. He sent His Son to the cross to take the blame for all our mistakes. The blood of Christ offers forgiveness to all people who admit their sins and desire mercy. Making things idiot proof is impossible; that’s why idiots like us need Jesus in our lives.