This
phrase became very popular in mainstream America thanks to the popular
television character called “Geraldine,” created and played by comedian Flip
Wilson. Every time Geraldine got into
trouble she would say, “The devil made me do it!” Of course we would all laugh but I think part
of that laughter was based in that we could relate to the character. To be truthful with ourselves is there not a
part in all of us who would like to blame someone or something else for the
troubles we get in to? I know part of me
would like to pass on the blame.
The
first recorded incidence of passing on the blame came from the first man, Adam,
when confronted with his sin he said, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the
tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12 KJV). He first blamed God, “The woman whom thou gavest
to be with me,” then he blamed Eve, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” It seems man has been placing the blame on
someone or something else ever since.
Actually, “The devil-made-me-do-it” is not the
first popular phrase of placing blame.
Another popular American phrase for putting the responsibility for
something on someone else is, “Passing the Buck.” We often think this means passing around a
dollar, since “buck” is the nick-name for a dollar bill, but the origin of this
phrase actually comes from the American Frontier when poker games in saloons
were prevalent. In this case the “buck”
usually meant a knife with a buck-horn handle.
During the second half of the 19th
century…players were highly suspicious of cheating or any form of bias and
there's considerable folklore depicting gunslingers in shoot-outs based on
accusations of dirty dealing. In order to avoid unfairness the deal changed
hands during sessions. The person who was next in line to deal would be given a
marker. This was often a knife, and knives often had handles made of buck's
horn - hence the marker becoming known as a buck. When the dealer's turn was
done he 'passed the buck'. (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/pass-the-buck.html)
One
thing we need to realize is that we cannot “pass the buck” on our sinful
decisions. God is not fooled. Adam tried to blame God and his wife Eve but
bottom line he is the one who chose
to eat the forbidden fruit. Consider the
Jews during Jeremiah’s time. There were
a lot of false prophets assuring Judah
and Jerusalem
of peace and prosperity (Jeremiah 13:13-15.)
This probably made Jeremiah very unwelcome as he prophesied about the
coming war and famine. When Jeremiah’s
prophecies came true it would have been easy for the people to blame the false
prophets for giving false information, but God made sure that they could not
‘pass the buck’ because Jeremiah prophesied:
“…for the people could not have been
deceived except by their own consent.” Jeremiah
14:15b AMP
The
people could not blame anyone else for their sin and we cannot blame anyone for
ours either. Sin is sin, and if we
commit it we have to own up to it. It is
time to quit passing the buck and say (like Harry S. Truman,) “The buck stops
here!”
“If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 KJV
Have you blamed someone else for something you
did? That person did not make you do it;
the devil did not make you do it; you
chose to do it. Own up to what you
did. Take it to your Heavenly Father,
confess it and receive His forgiveness.
Let Him take away “everything not
in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action.” (1 John 1:9b AMP) He will, you know.
