This morning, my grandson and I were having one of our “why did you do it” conversations. He disobeyed and did the opposite of what I had asked him to do the night before. So, when I asked him this morning why he did it, this was his response, “well, it’s just that the devil got into my head and I did it.” I was taken aback when he told me this and I looked at him and asked him, ” is that really true?” His response, “no, I just had to blame somebody else.”
This is a prime example of basic human nature. We want to blame someone else for our mistakes, our misery, our foolishness and our disobedience. In the 14th chapter of 1st Samuel, we find Saul making a foolish vow because he wanted to defeat the Philistines as quickly as possible. So his vow was made as an incentive to get the battle over and done with.
God never asked people to make oaths or vows, but if he did he expected them to be kept. Jonathan, Saul’s son, didn’t know about the vow but was guilty of breaking it. So inadvertently the foolish vow Saul had made risked the life of his own son. It was a foolish vow to begin with and it was the people’s intervention that spared Jonathan’s life. Saul would not back down from his foolishness. He was going to “save face” and not admit he had made a serious mistake, even if it meant killing his son for breaking it.
Jonathan on the other hand, admitted what he had done. He didn’t try to make excuses. He “owned up” to what he did. He was willing to take the consequences as a result of his action. It takes more courage to do this than spare embarrassment. So as I relayed this story to my grandson, he understood, it is better to admit your mistakes and show that you are more interested in doing the right thing than just looking good.
His response after the story, “so when we do something bad, it’s better to admit it and be strong and face the consequences?” ” Yes,” I answered, “and we’re never alone when we do. Do you feel better?” I asked him. “Yes, nana, I do,” he answered as he bent to hug me.
Admittedly, “saving face” is easier than admitting our foolish wrongdoing. But, oh how free we are when we admit our wrong to make it right. It is like gliding in the air; a load lifted from the heart! This is being free! Isn’t God grand?
ritasalomon 