Every now and again on Facebook you see those videos of preschoolers who have used their own faces or the faces of their younger siblings as canvases for their artwork, often using indelible markers. Sometimes they have used scissors to cut their own hair. Mom catches them standing there with the scissors or markers in their hands, an impish grin on their faces.
The questions start, “did you cut your hair?” or “did you draw on your brother/sister?” Of course, there is the immediate shaking of the head, “No!” And usually the identifying of that elusive culprit, “Not Me!”
The attempt to deflect attention for wrongdoing begins incredibly early in life. We hate to admit our misconduct. While that may be cute in a three-year-old, it is not so cute when that child becomes an adult. One the most profound jobs of a parent is to teach their children accountability for their own actions instead of deflecting blame on someone else.
One of the most profound jobs of our Father God is to teach His children accountability. He reminds us of that in the verse we have looked at the last couple of days. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” [2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV]
God’s people, those who are called by His name, must humble themselves before Him. We must be accountable for our misconduct, our wrongdoings, our sins. As we look at the church in our nation today, our sins are obvious. We have allowed ourselves to grow complacent, comfortable, unholy, greedy, and cold.
God is calling us today to humble ourselves before Him. The question is, “will we?”