We’ve recently found ourselves in a battle between our insurance company and our auto body repair shop over their shoddy workmanship.
I was sent back to the shop so the original estimator could see the problem. He took a look and then asked, “Do you want us to do the repairs and make a claim with your insurance?”
Thinking I’d misunderstood, I asked, “Aren’t y’all taking care of the repair, since it’s your work?”
They weren’t! I left feeling saddened over the whole situation. Mind you, this is about more than my car. This is about someone I trusted covering up their mistake instead of fixing it. And it’s about them refusing to take responsibility for the results of their cover up.
The very next morning I was reading in Deuteronomy. Look at what Moses said to the people of Israel.
“And the Lord was also angry with me because of you. He said to me, ‘Moses, not even you will enter the Promised Land!” Deuteronomy 1:37 (NLT)
The underlined is my emphasis.
I was surprised, because God’s perspective was very different. The original story is found in Numbers 20:2-13. God is very specific about why Moses wouldn’t enter the Promised Land, and it wasn’t because of the people of Israel. Look at what God says about it.
“But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” Numbers 20:12 (NLT)
The underlined is my emphasis.
We’re still waiting for our repairs.
Meanwhile, I’m asking the LORD to show me my choices from His point of view. Am I casting blame instead of accepting responsibility? Do I point to the choices of others to justify my response?
How about you? Have you ever had something similar happen to you? Did God teach you something through your experience? If so, please share what you learned in the comments section below.