Genesis 16:5 (NKJV)

‘Then Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.”’

Sarai’s thinking and reasoning was very interesting. The very idea of Abram bearing a child through Hagar was entirely her idea (as she rightfully admitted); so it is somewhat baffling to hear her say, ‘My wrong be upon you…The Lord judge between you and me’. Why should her wrong be upon her husband? Why couldn’t she take responsibility for her bad decision?

That is the weakness of Mankind; we are always looking for someone to put the blame on, even if the error was entirely of our making. We find it difficult to take ownership and therefore never really outgrow the baby stage of blame shifting. One sign of real maturity is taking ownership for decisions made. If I made a wrong decision, I must be bold enough to take responsibility for the outfall, rather always looking for an external reason to put the blame on. It’s time to grow up and take more ownership.

‘Lord, I know errors must happen and I hereby refuse to remain a baby and continue the ancient ritual of self-deception. I will not put my blame on someone else when I know that I was at fault. May my maturity in grace be evident in the ways I am able to accept responsibility for my wrong, in Jesus name. Amen.’