Don’t Blame the Twinkies

We live in what could be called the age of victimization.

Everywhere we turn, someone says, “It’s not my fault!” Modern culture encourages a mindset that deflects responsibility. Instead of facing consequences, we often deny, justify, or minimize our part in what has gone wrong. Yet the Bible is clear: before God, we are without excuse.

Without Excuse

In Romans 1:18-27, the Holy Spirit explains that humanity suppresses the truth and refuses to take responsibility for sin. Take a moment to click the link and read the passage from the NASB.

Excuse-making is as old as sin itself. In the Garden of Eden, when God asked Adam, “Where are you?” Adam blamed Eve. When God asked Eve, “What have you done?” she blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:11-13).

In Exodus, Aaron refused responsibility for the golden calf, claiming, “I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” (Exodus 32:24).

In Jesus’ parable of the great banquet, one man refused God’s call, saying, “I have married a wife… I cannot come” (Luke 14:20).

If we’re honest, we’ve all heard our own voice in those excuses. Humanity hasn’t changed much.

Today, excuses usually take three forms:

Denial: “I didn’t do it.”
Justification: “It wasn’t so bad.”
Deflection: “Yes, but…”

From Eden to San Francisco, and even right here on the Gulf Coast, the pattern is clear. Humans avoid responsibility rather than answering God’s question: “What have you done?”

The Twinkie Defense

Sometimes our excuses become laughable. Take the infamous Twinkie Defense. In 1978, Dan White assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. His lawyers argued that his depression was worsened by his junk-food binges, particularly Twinkies, and that it impaired his judgment. Amazingly, the jury accepted that argument, and he was acquitted of murder.

The Twinkie Defense makes us shake our heads. But if we’re honest, our own excuses aren’t much better. Whether we blame junk food, our upbringing, our spouse, or our circumstances, the truth is the same: excuses don’t remove accountability before God. He doesn’t ask, “What’s been done to you?” or “How were you treated?” He asks, “What have you done?” Our response matters.

We’re Born with Freedom of Choice

When God placed Adam in the Garden, His first command was not a prohibition but an affirmation of freedom: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden” (Genesis 2:16). God has endowed each of us with the power to think, reason, and choose.

Later, in Deuteronomy 30:15, God says, “I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.” We are given freedom and responsibility to make choices that shape our lives.

Of course, our freedom is compromised because we are born into a sin-broken race (Romans 5:12). Yet God grants every sinner a measure of faith and the ability to choose forgiveness in Christ. Through salvation, we are freed from the law of sin and death and brought under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-3).

Think of two children in a candy store, each offered any treat they want. One chooses a chocolate bar, the other a lollipop. Neither candy forced the choice—they chose freely. In the same way, God has given us freedom. Circumstances, people, and temptations cannot force our decisions.

We Must Own Our Decisions

Yet freedom always comes with responsibility. Each decision we make becomes a line in the story of our lives.

Too often, we try to live someone else’s life, or we attempt to control theirs. But we are responsible to others, not for them. Every adult must be mature enough to recognize how their decisions affect others. As Paul reminds us, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).

There’s an old story about a pastor who left ministry to become a funeral director. When asked why, he said, “I spent years trying to straighten people out, and it never worked. Now, when I straighten people out, they stay straight.” It’s a humorous reminder that as long as people can think and breathe, they are responsible for their own choices.

Sometimes, when tragedy strikes, people ask, “Why did this happen?” or even, “How could God allow this?” However, Scripture reminds us that God created humans with free will, and He rarely overrides it. Many tragedies, like accidents, addictions, reckless decisions, and broken families, are the direct result of human choices, not God’s hand. This truth doesn’t remove the pain, but it underscores the seriousness of responsibility.

We Will Give an Account

The Bible makes it clear that every person will one day give an account for their life. “Each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Jesus warns us that even our words will be weighed: “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). Our words matter because they flow from the heart.

Psalm 1 tells us, “the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment” (verse 5). But here’s the good news: for those in Christ, we do not face judgment with fear, because Jesus has pardoned our sins. His perfect love gives us confidence for the day of judgment (1 John 4:17). Our aim is to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him” (Colossians 1:10), so that we may one day hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

Imagine a teacher who assigns an essay. Some students rush through it, while others pour in effort and thought. On grading day, each is held accountable for their work. Life is like that essay: God asks us to manage the life He’s given, and each choice we make is a sentence in our story. When our essay is handed in, what will God read?