When things go wrong, and we can’t explain what happened or just don’t want to fess up to our wrong doings, the first words to come out of our mouths are “the devil made me do it.”

I find that very hard to accept on every wrong action that we commit. Surely, the devil is the Prince of the Air, and he can use whomever he sees fit; but, on the other hand, we were created with good in mind, although we were given the sense of right and wrong. When I say sense, I’m referring to our intelligence, our wisdom, our natural awareness or in another word, our common sense.

Common sense is something we all posses. Some people call it first mind. Our first mind is, and will always be our better judgment, in any given situation. I say this because everything God created was good. Our minds are not distorted until we are approached by someone who knows a way other than what God has already prepared for us.

Take for instance, in the Garden of Eden. See how the snake cunningly persuaded Eve to do something other than what God had told Adam to do? They didn’t know another way of life until they were approached by Satan. Even though God have given them such a variety of fruits to eat from, they still chose the one fruit they were prohibited from eating.

So you might ask, then why is this? Why did God put that tree there and place such a devious beast there. God gave us choices. God is such a good god that he didn’t want a dictatorship. He wanted us to have free will. God does not force anything on (his people.) With this, every man or woman can believe or do as he or she chooses. He does not force us, but he also tells us that for whatever action we choose, good or bad, we will get paid for it. For good, we will get a reward, and for bad, we will get a punishment. So, isn’t that’s fair enough?

So, logically, the devil does not make us do it.

We are the reasons for our own wrongdoings. He is just in our lives to trick us or detour us from our purpose. Didn’t he tell God that he was coming near and far to see who he could fool and take away their spiritual live? He didn’t bite his tongue because he knew his job or purpose. His job is to kill, steal and destroy. And basically, through our own selfishness, we become his candidate or his employee for a given moment or a lifetime. Through our own selfishness, we get the big head and tell ourselves that we don’t need God and that we can carry on by ourselves.

Today, we are not so much different, our Garden of Eden still exists. It exists as the safe haven that God has given us through his son, Jesus to live in the world, but not be of the world. God is still the same god, yesterday, today and forever. He still wants us to live in his garden and gain the benefits for eternal life. He says go ahead, make up your mind. Go ahead cry “the devil made me do it.” But if you ever get tired, then always remember, he still have some vacancy in his mansion.

Beverly Gibson is a Ferriday resident.