Everyone's Absorption Capacity, By John Steinke

“A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” In the preceding quote, blaming others will only expose our failures and weaknesses. Jesus pointed that out to us when he quipped the scripture in Matthew 7:5, regarding the log in our own eye. Steinke writes, “When anyone’s “absorption capacity” is exceeded, the person displays symptoms from irritation to blame, from reduced trust to a victim mentality, from psychic numbing to a search for messiahs. There are simply limits to the ability to absorb all the change that is happening.” Blaming or pointing the finger at others before looking at our own faults only brings about disharmony and disunity within the body of Christ.

Pointing the blame can sometimes be the easy out for some people. It takes the spotlight off them and shines it in the direction of others. Though it may be a temporary fix, it keeps the attention from them and onto another person. “Since your repentance and changed conduct will make it more difficult for the other person to shift the blame, he or she may finally start to face up to the misbehavior,” shares Sande. Shifting the blame is a temporary fix, however, for some, if it keeps the light off them for that moment, reduces the anxiety from their lives.
Ingrained in us, as Marine leaders, is to take responsibility for our actions; whether good or bad actions. However, growing up, I would tend to shift the blame, as many youths would, to get the spotlight off them. My mother and I were recently sharing on an event when I was a youth, that happened in our first home. Instructions from my parents, “do not to have any of your friends in the house when we are not at home.” Of course, I disobeyed and part of a room became damaged from our playing in the