It's Their Fault

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. (James 1:12-16 ESV). I read the following story on MSNBC some time ago and it made me think of how easy it is to fail to take personal responsibility for our actions. We’re a rotund nation. Just walk down the street — six out of every 10 of us are, well, supersized. We’re also a rather litigious bunch, home of the multi-million dollar spilled-coffee lawsuit, to name one. So it was just a matter of time before some legal mind asked the question: Who’s to blame for the fattening of America? A movement is brewing to hold the companies that peddle us fatty foods accountable for making us fat, just as the tobacco industry has had to pay for making some of us sick. Last week, Caesar Barber, a 56-year-old maintenance worker from the Bronx, filed a lawsuit against four major fast food chains claiming their fatty fare led to his obesity and health problems, which include two heart attacks and diabetes. His attorney, Samuel Hirsch, estimates millions of Americans could be included in the claim, which charges deceptive marketing practices encourage obesity. This case may just be the first of many. Attorney Richard Daynard, head of the Tobacco Products Liability Project at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, is turning his attentions to “Big Food.” He’s planning a strategy session in the fall for lawyers and public health experts to decide on effective strategies to hold food corporations accountable for the public health costs of their fattening fare. “Obviously no one is saying the fast food industry is entirely responsible for the obesity epidemic, but they bear a significant piece of the blame,” Daynard said. “The idea is to find out really what conduct on their part has contributed to obesity, such as misrepresenting the healthiness of the foods they sell.” Barber, who is 5-foot-10-inches and 272 pounds, said he started eating fast food over 30 years ago because it was cheap and he didn’t know how to cook. But, he said, he didn’t know it was bad for his health until his doctor told him so after he had two heart attacks. Sounds ludicrous, doesn’t it? Yet we are all guilty of the blame game at one time or another. Adam and Eve give us the first example of this human characteristic. When asked why, both blamed their sin on someone, or something else. And, that’s the very thing that keeps us from knowing forgiveness! The Scripture is so clear about the necessary steps to forgiveness for believers. First, we must admit that we have sinned. Then, we make confession and accept the gift of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. Even though the devil has a part to play in making sin as attractive as possible, the choice is ours. Whatever failure you have in your life today, admit your choice and ask God to forgive and restore you. He is the Source of forgiveness, not failure.