Who Is to Blame?

Many blame God for their troubles. A Bible proverb states: “A man’s own folly wrecks his life, and then he bears a grudge against the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:3, The New English Bible) Yet, holding God responsible for man’s woes is like blaming a car manufacturer for the prevalence of drunk-driving accidents.

God has given mankind valuable guidance in his Word, the Bible. By studying this divine library and living by the laws and principles it sets forth, we can avoid many of life’s pitfalls. In contrast, acting contrary to God’s guidance is disastrous. For example, those who overeat, smoke, overdrink, or commit immorality often suffer tragic health consequences. (Luke 21:34; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 2 Corinthians 7:1) The Christian apostle Paul wrote: “Whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap; because he who is sowing with a view to his flesh will reap corruption from his flesh, but he who is sowing with a view to the spirit will reap everlasting life from the spirit.”—Galatians 6:7, 8.

How much better it is to live by God’s laws and principles! If we do so, we will experience the reality of God’s promise spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk. O if only you would actually pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.”—Isaiah 48:17, 18.