The Cards You Were Dealt
If my wife would only (fill in the blank) __________, I would sure be a better
husband. If my husband would just learn to __________, I would become a much
better wife.
If the preacher would just __________; if the elders would agree with me about
__________; if the deacons would __________; if our parents hadn’t eaten sour
grapes, we wouldn’t have dental problems!
It is likely you have heard every one of these statements (excuses), except the
last. What is the last example about? How would anyone conclude they had dental
problems because of what their parents ate? Even in objective science and
traceable genetics, there would be no correlation between your parents eating
sour grapes and the condition of your teeth.
But when making excuses, when dismissing responsibility, creative justifying
proverbs are invented and repeated without sound thought processes. There is
this strong tendency to blame your parents, your circumstances, your history, or
“the cards you were dealt.”
Truth Connection: The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you mean by
repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten
sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? As I live, declares the
Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls
are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the
soul who sins shall die. “If a man is righteous and does what is just and
right—if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of
the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in
her time of menstrual impurity, does not oppress anyone, but restores to the
debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers
the naked with a garment, does not lend at interest or take any profit,
withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man,
walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous;
he shall surely live, declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 18:1-9 ESV)
[1] The New King James Version. 1982 (Jn 15:9–17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
By Warren E. Berkley
The Final Page
From Expository Files 19.5; May 2012
