Flip Wilson's phrase, "The devil made me do it," can cover a multitude of sins. The idea is that our behavior can be controlled by demons. "I'm not responsible," we say. "The devil got into me." And so we excuse our behavior. I saw a cartoon where a woman had bought a very expensive new dress, and her husband asked why she had been so extravagant. She replied, "The devil made me do it." "Well," the husband asked, "Why didn't you say, "Get thee behind me, Satan"?" "I did," explained the wife, "But he said the dress looked as good in the back as it did in the front, so I bought it."

Friend of Dial Hope, we have free will. We have choice...and the truth is that sometimes we choose poorly. Then we shift the blame and try to cover up with scapegoats and excuses. And, our excuses are excellent! What God wants is not excuses but penitence and commitment. Our hope is in the grace of a loving, caring, forgiving God.