“The dog ate my homework.”

Isn’t that the standard for shifting blame for an undone assignment?

We adults have a similar mantra: “The devil made me do it.” This simple phrase suffices for almost anything that we don’t want to take responsibility for, or that we want to avoid owning up to. Except that this phrase at least attests to the fact that “something” was done. The “homework” excuse means that nothing was done at all. This is a case of “avoidance” to the “nth” degree. Sadly, discipleship today leans more toward “dog blaming” than “devil blaming,” although a case could be made for both.

For many, the discipleship journey may be most like stowing away on a ship. The stowaway doesn’t take part in the work of hoisting the sails, scrubbing the deck, steering the boat, or maneuvering th…