Good Morning,
Yesterday I was watching one of those reality court shows and I notice the Judge was giving each party a chance to share their side of the story. For some “strange” reason I became very interested in seeing how the case would turn out. I say strange because it had absolutely nothing to do with my life ha ha! The thing I notice was each party thought they had a valid reason for being before the judge. And I noticed each party thought they should be the winner in their situation. After the show was over I went about my routine. Later on, I began to think about the scenario that was played out in the court room. Tidbits of information were divulged; and it provided the judge with enough insight to unravel the case and then make a fair evaluation. Let’s be honest, when we are going through tough times it’s very hard to start with self-evaluation. It’s easier to believe someone else caused our heartaches, miseries, and pains. It hurts too badly to say, “I’m broken!” “I need validation!” “I need help!” Instead we come up with excuses. The word excuse means: attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify; an explanation offered in defense of some fault or offensive behavior or as a reason for not fulfilling an obligation. The bottom line is: Excuses! Excuses! Excuses! When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden He gave them only one restriction. He told them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Because God created Adam and Eve with a free will, when confronted with temptation, they had a choice to make: obey God and live, or eat the fruit that was forbidden and die. The right choice would bring everlasting life and the wrong one, everlasting damnation. The choice was theirs to make. They chose to disobey God. Adam knew the rules. God gave them to him. Yet Adam not only loved Eve, enough to die with her, but also wanted something that belonged to God; omnipotence. Adam committed two sins, disobedience and covetousness. Eve disobeyed both God, by not obeying His commandments, and her husband, by not submitting to his authority. Didn't God give her to Adam? Why then was she listening to the voice of the devil? Her eyes were on material things and not on the things of God. When confronted with their sin Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent and the serpent slinked away. What did he care…… he had won! Adam and Eve had lost. That's the way the devil wanted it! After Adam and Eve had sinned, God asked this question, "Where art thou?" They were not where they were expected to be. Their Fellowship with God was broken due to sin. Listen to me very carefully; when we sin we withdraw our fellowship from God. God looks for us and asks us, "Where are you?" "Why can't I find you" "Why are you hiding from me?" "What have you done?" It is impossible to have true fellowship with God if we are in sin. Adam and Eve's excuses were to blame someone else for their sin. Who do we blame when we sin? The one great
hindrance to living out our destiny is not really a great mystery: EXCUSES. Excuses take more people out of the game of life than most anything that could stand in the way of fulfilling purpose, including inexperience and sickness. We could say that inability is a reason, but often that is just an excuse. We could say that we didn't have an opportunity, but that is often an excuse. We could say we don't know of anyone interested, but that would just be an excuse. We could say a lot of things, but they would most likely be just excuses, and nothing more than that! Excuses hinder us from living the life God ordained; and doing the work we should be doing. I can remember when I worked so hard on making excuses that if the same amount of time and energy would have been put into living this “God-Life,”much more would have already been accomplished! Excuses are never the answer to work that needs to be done. By definition, an excuse is a plea offered for release from an obligation. An excuse is offered to
try to get out of what we should be doing. Let’s face it; sometimes we make excuses to avoid
responsibility for our actions. We make excuses for things we did wrong, times we failed, things we
don't want to do, situations we don't want to be in; BUT if it is faithfulness that is commanded, we must be faithful. How about you? Have you submitted to the will of God, or have you been making excuses? If so, the answer to those excuses is submission to His will that you might receive the benefits and blessings of forgiveness. Are you making excuses so you don't have to obey? Are you making excuses so you don't have to do what you know God wants you to do or to go where He wants you to go? Are you making excuses for why you will not trust Him? Is there some excuse for why you have not made the
decision to trust His grace for your eternal life? If you want to be greatly used of God you must be willing to follow wherever He leads you. It's time to stop hiding behind the excuses we are so good at making. It's time to stop resisting and start following. It's time to stop saying, "I can't" and start saying, "He can." It's time to stop debating faith and start practicing it. When God gives direction He expects cooperation not excuses. I want you to imagine standing before God and trying to make excuses for your stubborn disobedience of His Word. What will be your excuse? How dreadful it will be to be without excuse! My friend, you should know, God’s sovereignty is so great that it can give us the freedom to make choices and yet in no way jeopardize His plans and purposes.
Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that the excuses in my life have given me permission to settle for less than Your best. I no longer desire to have an excuse for my shortcomings. I no longer desire to look for something or someone else to blame for my less-than- stellar lot in life. I will take responsibility by no longer saying, “It is never my fault.” I will no longer brand my insecurities through seemingly justifiable alibis. I no longer desire to be so stuck in the rut of excuses that I even make excuses for my excuses. Lord, I receive the victory You have in store for me. I Trust Your Word and the plans that You have for my life. Today, I put to rest forever the old, makeshift justifications. I Peel back
the layers of excuse after excuse that’s been holding me back from Your best! Today, I become a new creation in Christ and I let the blood of Jesus and His salvation promises justify me, vindicate me and excuse me from my excuses! I ask this in Jesus’ wonderful and powerful name, amen!”
One Simple Nugget: “Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure!”
Yesterday I was watching one of those reality court shows and I notice the Judge was giving each party a chance to share their side of the story. For some “strange” reason I became very interested in seeing how the case would turn out. I say strange because it had absolutely nothing to do with my life ha ha! The thing I notice was each party thought they had a valid reason for being before the judge. And I noticed each party thought they should be the winner in their situation. After the show was over I went about my routine. Later on, I began to think about the scenario that was played out in the court room. Tidbits of information were divulged; and it provided the judge with enough insight to unravel the case and then make a fair evaluation. Let’s be honest, when we are going through tough times it’s very hard to start with self-evaluation. It’s easier to believe someone else caused our heartaches, miseries, and pains. It hurts too badly to say, “I’m broken!” “I need validation!” “I need help!” Instead we come up with excuses. The word excuse means: attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify; an explanation offered in defense of some fault or offensive behavior or as a reason for not fulfilling an obligation. The bottom line is: Excuses! Excuses! Excuses! When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden He gave them only one restriction. He told them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Because God created Adam and Eve with a free will, when confronted with temptation, they had a choice to make: obey God and live, or eat the fruit that was forbidden and die. The right choice would bring everlasting life and the wrong one, everlasting damnation. The choice was theirs to make. They chose to disobey God. Adam knew the rules. God gave them to him. Yet Adam not only loved Eve, enough to die with her, but also wanted something that belonged to God; omnipotence. Adam committed two sins, disobedience and covetousness. Eve disobeyed both God, by not obeying His commandments, and her husband, by not submitting to his authority. Didn't God give her to Adam? Why then was she listening to the voice of the devil? Her eyes were on material things and not on the things of God. When confronted with their sin Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent and the serpent slinked away. What did he care…… he had won! Adam and Eve had lost. That's the way the devil wanted it! After Adam and Eve had sinned, God asked this question, "Where art thou?" They were not where they were expected to be. Their Fellowship with God was broken due to sin. Listen to me very carefully; when we sin we withdraw our fellowship from God. God looks for us and asks us, "Where are you?" "Why can't I find you" "Why are you hiding from me?" "What have you done?" It is impossible to have true fellowship with God if we are in sin. Adam and Eve's excuses were to blame someone else for their sin. Who do we blame when we sin? The one great
hindrance to living out our destiny is not really a great mystery: EXCUSES. Excuses take more people out of the game of life than most anything that could stand in the way of fulfilling purpose, including inexperience and sickness. We could say that inability is a reason, but often that is just an excuse. We could say that we didn't have an opportunity, but that is often an excuse. We could say we don't know of anyone interested, but that would just be an excuse. We could say a lot of things, but they would most likely be just excuses, and nothing more than that! Excuses hinder us from living the life God ordained; and doing the work we should be doing. I can remember when I worked so hard on making excuses that if the same amount of time and energy would have been put into living this “God-Life,”much more would have already been accomplished! Excuses are never the answer to work that needs to be done. By definition, an excuse is a plea offered for release from an obligation. An excuse is offered to
try to get out of what we should be doing. Let’s face it; sometimes we make excuses to avoid
responsibility for our actions. We make excuses for things we did wrong, times we failed, things we
don't want to do, situations we don't want to be in; BUT if it is faithfulness that is commanded, we must be faithful. How about you? Have you submitted to the will of God, or have you been making excuses? If so, the answer to those excuses is submission to His will that you might receive the benefits and blessings of forgiveness. Are you making excuses so you don't have to obey? Are you making excuses so you don't have to do what you know God wants you to do or to go where He wants you to go? Are you making excuses for why you will not trust Him? Is there some excuse for why you have not made the
decision to trust His grace for your eternal life? If you want to be greatly used of God you must be willing to follow wherever He leads you. It's time to stop hiding behind the excuses we are so good at making. It's time to stop resisting and start following. It's time to stop saying, "I can't" and start saying, "He can." It's time to stop debating faith and start practicing it. When God gives direction He expects cooperation not excuses. I want you to imagine standing before God and trying to make excuses for your stubborn disobedience of His Word. What will be your excuse? How dreadful it will be to be without excuse! My friend, you should know, God’s sovereignty is so great that it can give us the freedom to make choices and yet in no way jeopardize His plans and purposes.
Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that the excuses in my life have given me permission to settle for less than Your best. I no longer desire to have an excuse for my shortcomings. I no longer desire to look for something or someone else to blame for my less-than- stellar lot in life. I will take responsibility by no longer saying, “It is never my fault.” I will no longer brand my insecurities through seemingly justifiable alibis. I no longer desire to be so stuck in the rut of excuses that I even make excuses for my excuses. Lord, I receive the victory You have in store for me. I Trust Your Word and the plans that You have for my life. Today, I put to rest forever the old, makeshift justifications. I Peel back
the layers of excuse after excuse that’s been holding me back from Your best! Today, I become a new creation in Christ and I let the blood of Jesus and His salvation promises justify me, vindicate me and excuse me from my excuses! I ask this in Jesus’ wonderful and powerful name, amen!”
One Simple Nugget: “Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure!”
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