The First Story of Irresponsibilty

Shirking responsibility is not a new phenomenon for sure. It can be traced all the way back to the garden of Eden. When you read the Genesis account of creation and the fall, there are two interesting truths that stand out.

First of all, even before the church rules (The Ten Commandments), and before sin infected the human race, God gave humans responsibility. When you read Genesis 1:27-29, it is easy to see that humans were give responsibility over the entire earth. In fact, there was only one rule...and a lot of responsibility.  Isn't it true, that we are the happiest when we have a responsibility and we do it well? We all feel better when we take responsibility for the things for which we are responsible. That is not an accident, we were designed that way!

You may meet people who are experts at placing blame and excusing their irresponsibility, but they never have a smile on their face. You won't meet a happy, irresponsible person.

Secondly, Genesis 3:8-13 recounts the story of the original sin. The interesting thing about the story is how quickly Adam and Eve shifted the blame for their irresponsibility. Adam said in Genesis 3:12: “The man replied, ‘It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’” He blames Eve at first, then he even blames God! "The woman that YOU gave me." When Even is confronted by God, she replies in verse 13: “The serpent deceived me....” 

Here's the truth I want to leave you with today. In a culture where every one takes responsibility for what is entrusted to them, there doesn’t need to be a lot of rules. But when there is only one rule, if everyone doesn't take responsibility, the one rule will be broken.