Dangerous Blame
“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.”
Colossians 1:21-22 (ESV)
After my diving accident, I was tempted to blame God for it all. Why didn’t he dispatch an angel to soften the impact of that foolish dive? Why didn’t he shift the sandbar underneath the raft or hold the vertebrae in my neck together rather than letting them snap? Didn’t he care? God could have arranged for a less tragic outcome than permanent paralysis. The fact that he didn’t… wouldn’t I be justified in holding him responsible? It was all so unfair.
But here’s the deal: When we blame God, we assume he’s done something wrong. We forget that humans are the ones who broke the contract in the Garden of Eden, and God owes this utterly rebellious planet absolutely nothing. We brought sin and suffering on ourselves. So, God cannot be blamed.
But he can be praised for his mercy. The fact that he gives each of us life—even me, with paralyzed life—is an extraordinary gift. Look, I could’ve died in that accident! But the fact that I am alive in my wheelchair? Oh, what a merciful gift. And God is more than generous in sending Jesus to redeem us from our sin; he knows more about suffering than we ever will.
But it gets even better: 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (NIV). You see, Christ’s death did more than clear us of guilt; it gave us his righteousness. Talk about mercy unending!
So rather than accusing God for the hardships, headaches, and heartbreaks, praise him for rescuing you from far worse suffering—a dark eternity where there’s only pain and hopelessness. It’s why I shout, “Oh, Jesus, bless you for your mercy!”
Jesus, thank you for taking the reproach for all my rebellion, all my selfishness, all my wrongdoing. Please forgive me for the times when I accuse you of being anything less than absolutely blameless.
Chronic Hope: Parenting a Child with a Chronic Disease
After raising a son who lives with type 1 diabetes, Bonnie O’Neil knows the heartache, struggle, and growth that can come with parenting a child with a chronic illness. Bonnie joins the podcast to share a vision for navigating chronic disease with strength, resilience, and loving self-sacrifice, all by God’s grace.
