Blaming others, making excuses, or accusing the world of being unfair is often a sign of unconsciousness. It's a refusal to look inward.
We tend to give ourselves too much credit—believing we’re the main character in someone else’s attempt to hold us back or cause us harm. But the truth is, most people are too consumed with their own lives to think about us that much. I’ve always loved the quote:
“I used to worry about what people thought of me, until I realized they don’t.”
It’s sobering—and freeing.
Yet, how often do we chalk up our own shortcomings to someone else’s fault? We tell ourselves our misfortunes are the result of bad luck, bad people, or forces outside our control. But this mindset—this refusal to own our choices—keeps us stuck.
In the Bible, we see examples of what I call “pit parties.” Take the Israelites: freed from slavery by God’s hand, led out of Egypt by Moses—and yet, not long after, they’re grumbling and complaining. “We had it better in Egypt,” they say. The cycle of blame and bitterness is endless for those unwilling to do the hard work of self-discovery.
This is why people often shun God—and avoid personal responsibility—because deep down, we know the uncomfortable truth: the real problem isn’t Him. It’s us.
I love when people say, “I was dealt a bad hand in life.”
Here’s a thought: don’t play that hand. Don’t double down on stupid. Or better yet—play another game. Choose the one where you align your actions with God’s will instead of blaming the world and ducking accountability.
You see it clearly in criminal thinking: “The cops are out to get me.” “The system is rigged.” “I’m just misunderstood.” These defenses say, “I’m not the problem. The world is.”
It’s ego. It’s protection. But it’s also deception.
I catch glimpses of this same thinking in the scroll of social media—people justifying behavior, shifting blame, mocking accountability. But spiritual growth begins when we stop pointing fingers and start looking in the mirror.
True freedom isn’t found in blaming the world.
It’s found in owning our part, surrendering our pride, and stepping into the light of truth.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
— Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV)
God,
Strip away the lies I’ve told myself.
Tear down the walls of blame and pride that keep me from the truth.
Shine Your light into the corners of my heart that I’ve refused to examine.
I don’t want to be a victim of my own excuses.
I don’t want to live in the comfort of blame while forfeiting the power of change.
Help me see that freedom doesn’t come from control—it comes from surrender.
Search me, Lord.
Expose what needs to go.
And give me the courage to own it.
Let me stop pointing fingers outward, and instead, lift my hands upward—to You.
You are not the problem.
You are the solution.
Align my spirit to Your will, and may my life reflect the humility, strength, and accountability that comes from walking with You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
