Excuses versus Responsibility

Following on from yesterday really, I have a real problem for excuses, not reasons or facts, but excuses. Excuses for me, are us trying not to take responsibility for something that has happened. I don't really know where I am going with this post, so bear with me.

I remember, when I started work in the oil industry over 10 years a go, I had to pulled aside and told that people were getting peeved with the fact that nothing was my fault, I always had a good excuse, there were always mitigating circumstances, there was always someone else or something else to blame. This use to get me into trouble and arguments. I was told to put my hands up and start to take responsibility for my actions. I don't think anything else affected me so much at work than learning to take responsibility, it helped me grow.

I still do it though, I still make excuses, rather than taking on responsibility, I do it most at home, when I am in a bad mood, or when I have lost 'my' temper, or when I don't want to admit that Tanya is right, or when one of my family is in the wrong place but so am I, I can say why I am here, why I am angry, of course at this point, their excuses don't count, my 'reasons' do.

One of the fundamentals of the Christian faith is putting your hands up and saying, it was me, I was wrong, I have sinned. There are no excuses at the cross, we have to face up to our responsibility, the fact that we sinned but Jesus took the punishment, now I have to follow Him.