Good morning, Who left the towel on the bathroom floor? Someone forgot to send in the application. Who left the garage door open? We all know the usual answer: “Not me!” We don’t like to assume blame for something wrong or something that didn’t work out quite the way we intended it to. After a heated argument have you said, “If I hurt you, I’m sorry”? It sounds good, but really, isn’t saying, “if” avoiding accountability too. Wouldn’t taking full responsibility be saying, “I hurt you and I’m sorry. Please forgive me”? Some claim that they are never to blame for anything. It’s always someone else’s fault: a parent, spouse, a boss with unrealistic expectations, a society which doesn’t care about me. Taking it a step further is denying accountability before God: “God can’t condemn me for my attitude and lifestyle. He made me this way.” “Not me!” does not excuse anyone from having to answer for their words and actions. Blaming others for one’s own laziness, mistakes, and other sins only compounds the guilt. Making excuses to God is foolishness to the extreme since He sees right through our words and actions to the motives of the heart. “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar” (Ps. 139:1). To those who think they can escape God’s notice and avoid answering for their lives, Paul says, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10). We have no excuse for a single sin. “If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn. 1:8). Praise God for the Savior, who instead of shifting blame to someone else, took on Himself the sin of all humankind and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). Instead of foolishly trying to make ourselves look better than we are, let’s humbly confess our faults to the Lord and to those around us whom we hurt. Let’s trust in Jesus’ righteousness, not our own, when God calls us to give an account. Then whether the final judgment is today or in the distant future, we have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. Yours in Christ, Pastor Service times tomorrow are 8:00 and 10:45 a.m. Our intergenerational Sunday school will meet in the fellowship area at 9:30 a.m. to view the third part of a mission presentation by the CLC Committee on Domestic Fields. All ages are welcome. Here is the link for service signup: https://tinyurl.com/y2j5r8sn Signing up for the Sunday service by 6 p.m. Saturday is appreciated and helpful and a way of showing Christian love for one another. It gives the Elders and ushers an idea of how many people to prepare for. When you sign up you can also see how full the service will be, and if you wish, consider attending the other service. By signing up, you can easily be informed if that were advisable because of contact with someone at the service who later became ill. The governor’s mask order is still in effect for all indoor spaces, including churches. Masks are available in the entry if you forget yours.
