Ever seen a flamethrower in the movies? It’s a fiery torch designed to destroy people. ‘Blame throwers’ do the same. When life doesn’t go their way, instead of taking responsibility for their decisions and actions they blame others. And there’s no shortage of scapegoats. For example: my business would have succeeded if the banker had loaned me more money…I wanted to be part of the ministry team but my husband didn’t like the idea…But when it comes to blame-shifting, there’s no wiggle room as far as God’s Word is concerned: ‘Every one of us shall give account of himself.’ The problem with blame-shifting is that it stops you from taking constructive action and moving on with your life. As psychologist Dr Brenda Shoshanna observes: ‘Each person you blame is holding on to a piece of your personal power and self-respect…Taking responsibility for what’s happening in your life is one of the most empowering things you can do. New choices become available…your anger is reduced…you see people and events with new eyes. Remember, responsibility can also be read as response-ability: the ability to respond instead of reacting.’ No question – it can be intimidating to take charge of your life, but you’ll be amazed at the joy and freedom it brings. Will you make mistakes along the way? Of course! Will you stumble and fall? Sure! But there’s nothing like that feeling of stepping out in faith, and with God’s help taking the next step.