First scenario: Robert is driving in a responsible manner down a street when Ana who was distracted on her cell phone pulls out in front of him and almost causes an accident. Robert, the responsible driver becomes indignant and begins lecturing Ana, then he continues driving and complaining about irresponsible drivers. Second scenario: Robert who is still upset about almost getting into an accident switches lanes and doesn’t see the vehicle in the adjacent lane. The driver in the adjacent lane pulls up and lowers their window and insults Robert for driving irresponsibly. But Robert angrily screams back, “that’s what you get for driving in my blind spot.” 

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. – Proverbs 4:23 NIV

It’s always easy to see irresponsibility in others but so difficult to see it in ourselves. For more than twenty years I’ve been counseling people as part of my job. And when they meet with me, they come well-rehearsed on what they’re going to say, and almost 100% of the time the root of the problem is someone else’s irresponsibility. This is why in the Book of Proverbs, Solomon admonishes us to guard our hearts. The problem however, is that we want to excuse our own irresponsibility by pointing out what’s in someone else’s heart. Another person’s irresponsibility is never a green light for us to act irresponsibly, for ultimately, we are accountable to God.