In late 1994 and 1995 I attended Alcoholics Anonymous and learned the phrase "It's not m' fault", a catch-cry of alcoholics. Getting people to take personal responsibility for their life is central to AA's mission. And, while I have never taken a drink of alcohol, I recognized that "It's not m' fault" is my catch-cry also. I am more than willing to pray, "Lord, I thank thee that I am not as other men are", rather than casting my life before God and saying "God, have mercy on me, a sinner". When I experience sorrow and sadness, I am quick to see myself as a victim of circumstances beyond my control, and slow to take responsibility for my lot as the consequences of my own folly. I am slow in saying to God, "I am powerless over sin" and give my life over to God to sort out.
Of course, to say "It's your fault" to a friend in distress is to relive the mistake of Job's friends. A call to take personal responsibility for the human mess that we all experience is a message for each one of us personally, to be shared only through our personal testimony to others in similar circumstances. That is the power of AA, and the power of viewing church as "Sinners Anonymous".
Why am I mentioning "personal responsibility" in our discussion of Ecclesiastes?
It occurs to me that the book of Ecclesiastes is a fascinating and God-ordained case study on the consequences of living life by the mantra, "It's not m' fault". With this lens, lets take an introductory look at Chapter 6, our study for this week.
Poor Solomon. Suffering under the burden God has placed on him -- wealth, and a complete inability to enjoy it. (v2)
Poor Solomon. 1,000 wives, untold children, and the prospect of no-one to mourn his passing and celebrate his life with a befitting funeral ceremony. (v3)
Poor Solomon. Longevity from God, and yet life is a cruel joke because "all go to the same place". (v6)
Poor Solomon. The finest food that God created, and yet his appetite is never satisfied. (v7)
Poor Solomon. Wisdom granted from God (1 Kings 3), but it was no advantage to him. (v8)
Poor Solomon. A statesman without advantage. (v8)
Poor Solomon. He is no match for God. (v10)
Poor Solomon. God hasn't confided what the future will hold, ... even though God had appeared to him twice previously, and the third time God appears, He plainly foretells the future (1 Kings 11:11-13). What's more, God clearly tells Solomon whose fault this is -- Solomon's, and Solomon's alone.
So, if it is a "grievous evil" to have had so much, only to lose it and pass it over to someone else, is it a "grievous evil" that:
(a) God has capriciously burdened us with? "It's not my fault" , or
(b) we need to take responsibility for? "It's not God's fault".
Our choice. Solomon's father was a founding member of "Sinners Anonymous", and his Psalm 51 is its 'Blue Book' to this day. Our recovery within "Sinners Anonymous" depends on choosing to follow David rather than his son.
Of course, to say "It's your fault" to a friend in distress is to relive the mistake of Job's friends. A call to take personal responsibility for the human mess that we all experience is a message for each one of us personally, to be shared only through our personal testimony to others in similar circumstances. That is the power of AA, and the power of viewing church as "Sinners Anonymous".
Why am I mentioning "personal responsibility" in our discussion of Ecclesiastes?
It occurs to me that the book of Ecclesiastes is a fascinating and God-ordained case study on the consequences of living life by the mantra, "It's not m' fault". With this lens, lets take an introductory look at Chapter 6, our study for this week.
Poor Solomon. Suffering under the burden God has placed on him -- wealth, and a complete inability to enjoy it. (v2)
Poor Solomon. 1,000 wives, untold children, and the prospect of no-one to mourn his passing and celebrate his life with a befitting funeral ceremony. (v3)
Poor Solomon. Longevity from God, and yet life is a cruel joke because "all go to the same place". (v6)
Poor Solomon. The finest food that God created, and yet his appetite is never satisfied. (v7)
Poor Solomon. Wisdom granted from God (1 Kings 3), but it was no advantage to him. (v8)
Poor Solomon. A statesman without advantage. (v8)
Poor Solomon. He is no match for God. (v10)
Poor Solomon. God hasn't confided what the future will hold, ... even though God had appeared to him twice previously, and the third time God appears, He plainly foretells the future (1 Kings 11:11-13). What's more, God clearly tells Solomon whose fault this is -- Solomon's, and Solomon's alone.
So, if it is a "grievous evil" to have had so much, only to lose it and pass it over to someone else, is it a "grievous evil" that:
(a) God has capriciously burdened us with? "It's not my fault" , or
(b) we need to take responsibility for? "It's not God's fault".
Our choice. Solomon's father was a founding member of "Sinners Anonymous", and his Psalm 51 is its 'Blue Book' to this day. Our recovery within "Sinners Anonymous" depends on choosing to follow David rather than his son.
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