The Blaming Game
ICS Daily Devotions
1 Samuel 30:3-4, 6 (NKJV) So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.… Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
In this passage, David and his men faced a crisis when they returned from battle to find that their homes had been destroyed and their spouses and children had been taken captive. They lifted up their voices and wept. We need to understand that it is good for us to release our emotions through weeping and wailing because that is part of our emotional makeup, and it is a good relief valve that God has designed for us.
Different people may react differently to a crisis, but it is wrong when we turn irrational, or violent by inflicting self-harm or venting at others through verbal or physical abuse. David’s men started to complain, murmur, and blame their leader for their grief and pain to the point of wanting to stone David. Divide and conquer is a common tactic of the enemy. Therefore, we also need to watch our attitude and spirit, especially when we are going through a crisis, to ensure that we don’t complain and entertain unnecessary disputes with the wrong party.
Philippians 2:14 (NKJV) Do all things without complaining and disputing.
The most common initial reaction to a bad situation is to justify our complaints and utter dissatisfaction, but what we don’t realise is that by repeating these murmurs and complaints, we are building negative vibes in our hearts because there is tremendous power in our words or any form of words. Therefore, gathering for a pity party with others does not help, because our mood is affected and our emotions are stirred up when we complain and go into a dispute over an issue. We might even slip into depression unknowingly if we dwell excessively on the negatives, the injustice, and the people who wronged us. Slowly but surely, our countenance and our mood will change, and it will start to affect every aspect of our lives. If we are journeying with others, we should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, but refuse to participate in pity parties.
David had the right attitude and relationship with God. This was shown in his response to the crisis. David didn’t blame God, nor was he bitter. He knew that God was not the source of his crisis. The conviction that God is good and not the source of our tribulations is key in helping us through emotional turmoil. Like David, we can overcome by drawing strength from God.
Sermon Series: UP! CG Campaign
