Scapegoat

Nov. 8

Read: Genesis 31

Stuck in a Crummy Job? Part 2

Why do we hang around at crummy jobs for so long? What is it that keeps a person “stuck”? Is it fear? Is it laziness? Have we been taught that it is somehow more “Christian” or noble just to hang around?

God will not leave his people “stuck” in crummy jobs forever. He is working to make a way forward for his children. All of us will have seasons where God calls us to endure… to persevere… to suffer and bare weight… but he does not leave us stranded there. Jacob is a prime example. For 20 years Jacob labored for Laban. For 20 years Laban took advantage of Jacob in one way or another. Jacob remained there until the Lord told him to go! Jacob’s years with Laban can teach us a lot. Here is day 2:

The people of God are frequently scapegoats:

Laban refused to see that his attitude had tainted his sons and that his greedy manipulations had led to discord in his family. The men of Laban’s household blamed Jacob, when in reality it was God who was working behind the scenes. (v.4-9) Laban would never blame himself… so he blames Jacob. Don’t be surprised when you become the scapegoat for someone else’s deficiencies. Blame shifting is a part of the human condition apart from Christ. The Lord is the one that opens our eyes to see our brokenness and leads us to repent and come to him.

We must be careful that we do not do the same thing as Laban did. It is so much easier for us to blame someone else than it is to look in on our own hearts. The work of the Holy Spirit is to “guide into truth” and “to convict” (cf. John 15:26,27, 16:8 etc.) The Spirit of God is working on his people and guiding us each step of the way. It is hard for us to grasp at times, but God is genuinely the one moving behind the scenes. God was still working on Jacob and for Jacob even when he didn’t feel it. God was the one that Laban had to “blame” even though he didn’t.

The next time you face this sort of opposition… or feeling like you have been made the “scapegoat”… ask the Lord to give you eyes to see HIS WORKING in the situation. Who knows what is going on in the life of these other people that they are bringing with themselves to work. Who knows what they are battling. God was able to clue Jacob in to the fact that HE was working behind the scenes. Jacob then understood that it was not truly himself doing it. When Laban came after him, he was able to rest on the Lord as a rock and was not shaken. We must remember that the darkness hates the light:

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:19-21)

Not all opposition is because we are doing the Lord’s work. It is possible for Christians to just be bad workers at times. If that is the case, the Lord will convict. But there is always a chance that when we “shine the light” of Christ or represent the light of Christ we will become a target for the darkness. In this way - sometimes being a hard worker (like Jacob) actually draws the ire of those around you (think Laban’s sons and Laban). Jesus knows what it is like to be accused, and he is with you in those moments. Take heart. Look for the ways he is working and trust he has a plan to move you forward. Love you guys. -JDP