Have you ever made a mistake (even just a small one) and then tried to point out the shortcoming of someone else in what was happening, in an effort to deflect the blame from yourself and even diminish the mistake that you made? I think this is almost a natural reaction for some (read Genesis 3:12-13). “Well, he shouldn’t have said what he said.” “Well, she should have been clearer in the information she gave me.”
One of the hardest things to do is to admit wrongdoing. Sometimes it can be for little things: “I’m sorry. I looked at the wrong message. It was from someone else. I shouldn’t have said what I did to you.” Sometimes it can be for big things: “Lord, I have sinned. While it would be easy for me to blame others, the choice for my actions was all mine. Please forgive me.”
It is a sign of spiritual maturity for a Christian to accept responsibility for their actions and to direct blame for mistakes to himself (even if it’s a small, seemingly insignificant matter). David had to learn to do that the hard way (Psa. 51).