As David fled, a distant relative of Saul’s named Shimei ran along the hillside parallel to the caravan pelting them with rocks and shouting curses on David. When one of David’s guards offered to kill the man, David stopped him and suggested the man was only saying what God told him to say. “Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to.”
David’s perspective was that everything which happened to him was from the Lord, both the blessings and the calamity. He knew that he deserved the man’s words, even if they were inaccurate regarding his treatment of Saul’s family and the cause of Saul’s downfall. Still, he knew that he was a murderer and a scoundrel. He knew that God had told him through the prophet Nathan that his sin in taking Uriah’s wife and orchestrating his murder had brought a sword upon his own house.
Our response to the consequences of our actions often determines our future. Are we willing to learn from our mistakes and make different choices or do we blame others and continue to fall into the same sin time and time again? Accepting responsibility for our circumstances is key to changing them.
When people point out our failures or the impact our actions have had on others (whether intentionally or not), are we able to humbly accept correction? Can we acknowledge that we aren't perfect, repent of the harm we caused (even if we didn't mean to), and try to learn from the experience and do better in the future?
Acknowledging our mistakes is not the same as taking the blame or responsibility for someone else's choices. Even if our actions hurt someone and caused them to lash out, they are responsible for their behavior just as we are responsible for ours. If we love someone, and we come to realize that our words or our actions have wounded them, our hearts should rightly be broken over causing pain to one we love--rather than being hardened toward them as we justify ourselves.
David’s perspective was that everything which happened to him was from the Lord, both the blessings and the calamity. He knew that he deserved the man’s words, even if they were inaccurate regarding his treatment of Saul’s family and the cause of Saul’s downfall. Still, he knew that he was a murderer and a scoundrel. He knew that God had told him through the prophet Nathan that his sin in taking Uriah’s wife and orchestrating his murder had brought a sword upon his own house.
Our response to the consequences of our actions often determines our future. Are we willing to learn from our mistakes and make different choices or do we blame others and continue to fall into the same sin time and time again? Accepting responsibility for our circumstances is key to changing them.
When people point out our failures or the impact our actions have had on others (whether intentionally or not), are we able to humbly accept correction? Can we acknowledge that we aren't perfect, repent of the harm we caused (even if we didn't mean to), and try to learn from the experience and do better in the future?
Acknowledging our mistakes is not the same as taking the blame or responsibility for someone else's choices. Even if our actions hurt someone and caused them to lash out, they are responsible for their behavior just as we are responsible for ours. If we love someone, and we come to realize that our words or our actions have wounded them, our hearts should rightly be broken over causing pain to one we love--rather than being hardened toward them as we justify ourselves.
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