Last time we saw God holds each one of us personally responsible for what we think, say and do. God only knows what we think; and He alone hears everything we say and sees everything we do.
What is the danger regarding rationalization in this context?
In the decision making process people often rationalize to the point of compromise, more so perhaps, through verbal communication than through actions.
You may have said, or heard someone say, one or both of these rationalizing remarks:
“Well, if you knew what he said to me; you would know why I said that to him.”
“If you knew what she did to me you would know why I did that to her.”
In the vernacular, pay back. We justify our actions – more correctly our reactions.
This is not Biblical.
I include Philippians 2:3-5 in every marriage ceremony I perform and in every counseling case that comes before me because it deals directly with this issue.
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things (i.e. from his own perspective), but every man also on the things (i.e. from their perspective) of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Next time: The Fallacy of Compromise
