Everyone Wants to Play the Victim

We've seen it everywhere in our society over the last many years... no one is responsible for themselves or accountable anymore. Someone steals or loots,  and it is "justified" because they've been underprivileged and disadvantaged, so it's just tolerated. In our schools, kids who should be failing are passed because they don't have the same advantages of other kids. It goes on and on and on. Tonight, I had it thrown in my face as a pastor. I had a conversation with someone who is going through a horrible situation with their family and I began talking with this person about how they need to get some priorities in their life straightened out and put God back in His rightful place in their life and the lives of their family members. I could not believe it when the person told me that it was my fault that they and their family were not in church. I asked if I had somehow offended them or hurt them and they told me that they were not in church because I had stopped asking them to come. At first I was too stunned to even respond, but after the accusations continued further I asked this person if they thought I'd be over stating things to say that I had asked them to come at least 70 to 80 times over the years either by letter, card, email, Facebook, phone calls or in face to face conversations. They admitted that it would probably be far more than that, but said that I stopped asking them and that's why they don't come. I reminded this person that I had actually invited them at least 4 times in the past two months and they said, "Yeah, but you don't don't talk to us near as much as you used to."  I probably should have just let it go, but I told them that perhaps they might consider what it feels like to have extended invitations for years, only to be ignored. I told this person that no one in their right mind is going to keep asking over and over indefintely. They said, "Jesus would!"  So I reminded them that Jesus told his disciples that if they go into a town and the people did not receive the message, to leave that down and shake the dust from their feet as they left.  Then I said to this person, "You may think that you have a great excuse, but I'd really think that one over before you stand before God one day and offer that as your excuse."