PLEASE EXCUSE MY EXCUSES!!

Sunday’s Monday

It appears that one of the greatest failures in the functions of today’s church is holding those that have chosen to follow Jesus, accountable to living a Jesus lifestyle. Many Christians start out great but begin to slip over time, in search of comfort. I’m sure you’re familiar with the dynamics of water, it always seeks the path of least resistance and most always flows downhill, in which this virtue is also instilled into man’s human nature. Once man stumbles on a way of doing things that is easier than prescribed and carries minimal consequences, we’re hooked. We learn as a toddler the value of excuses and how to perfect our ability to convince people that our excuses are not excuses, they are valid reasons why things did or did not happen. Many people become so convincing with their excuses that they believe the excuse themselves. Benjamin Franklin once said, “He, that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” It’s a natural instinct for shortcuts, that imprisons a person from being and doing his best before man and God.

An excuse is merely a statement seeking justification for something unpleasant to the excuse barer. This is ridiculous, but often we offer excuses for not doing what God wants as justification to ourselves; and it often works! I know, I still after 30 years suffer from a beginner’s fear of not hearing God but that is an excuse because of the miracles, I’ve seen God perform, however, I do sometimes suffer from the “not just now Lord” syndrome. He says call or write someone, and I say in a minute but then get sidetracked, and it doesn’t happen. I’m a thousand times better than I used to be, but I still see a need for improvements, and I will continue seeking improvements as long as God continues to give me breath. You see God showed me many years ago that being born of the flesh, geared to be human, and trained to be worldly had impaired my every thought . I couldn’t see that my excuses were the foundation of my failures, and my foundation could not bear the enormous weight of my deceit. I think this is spoken to in Proverbs 24:12 (NLT), Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.

God has been showing me in my life as well as helping me observe others, to discover that even the worst of the excuse makers become angered when someone hands them an excuse. They have developed the ability to see an excuse for what it truly is. So, I present this question for your consideration, is excuse making a sign of, neglect, laziness, evasiveness, or just uncaring? Would not the need for an excuse have to be from the family of one of these words to cause the excuse makers to jump to the defense of their excuse, to keep something hidden? People, you have to know that the best of the excuse makers eventually get caught by their best excuses. It takes an average excuse maker forever (if ever) to figure out the sin in excuses and God knowing this had Paul to pen Galatians 6:1(ESV), Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Help is provided by God to those who actively seek it.

I found a new favorite quote this week from Dr. Ben Carson; “and I've always said, If two people think the same thing about everything, one of them isn't necessary. We need to be able to understand that if we're going to make real progress.” I offer this in relation to the previous paragraph. We don’t have to be alone; we choose to! We need the adversity that comes in relationships with others to keep us sharp and cause us to examine and re-examine why we think what we think. Others help us to stay connected to the vine (Jesus) and become a more viable part of the Body of Christ actively seeking to hear the voice of God. So, PLEASE! “DON’T” EXCUSE MY EXCUSES!” I need you to be that motivation that keeps me searching to be the best me that I can be in Jesus. I need you and you need me, and we need Jesus to form our cord of three. Spoken of in Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT), A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Excuses allow me to hide my faults from others and feel good about it.

Lord I pray we will all be awakened to your inspired writing in Galatians 6:7 (NLT), Don’t be misled - you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Help us Lord to not sow our fields with excuses but with hearers of the gospel. May our excuses become fields of integrity for your glory. Amen

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!

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