Put Away Excuses

I’ll be the first person to say that I’m not perfect.

I’ve had my fair share of less than desirable situations.

And over time, I’ve learned that trials in life increase our strength.

As Christians who walk in a world at odds with everything we stand for, it is expedient to pin the blame on others or even our God.

Except we can’t remain off the hook for our own choices.

“I’m too tired.”

“There’s no time.”

“I don’t feel like it.”

“The devil made me do it.”

“Everyone else gets things handed to them.”

I understand why people beat themselves up when things don’t go their way. It’s natural to feel like things are against you during hard times. We love to give God credit when things are easy. But when events shift or tensions rise, many believers blame God for their situations and play the victim.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

This verse from Philippians says we can do all things through Christ. Not SOME things, not only on a great day. All things through Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things AT ALL TIMES, you may abound in every good work.

We have God’s grace in our endeavors each day.

There’s no room for excuses or for playing the victim.

Having a defeatist mentality means you’ve already lost. A prisoner of your own making? That’s somewhere you don’t want to be.

Many times, excuses come from bad habits.

Proverbs 24:33-34 “A little sleep — a little slumber — A little folding of the hands to lie down. And thy poverty comes as a traveler, And want as an armed man!”

Obviously, this verse isn’t saying rest is a bad thing. But we should be willing to work six days out of the week to make ends meet, and ‌leave an inheritance for both our children and their children. It demands both dedication and a careful plan.

There’s no room for excuses here. The Bible does not take kindly to laziness.

An everyday example is hitting the snooze button on the alarm.

“Five more minutes.”

We’ve all done it at some point.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting rest.

But when the day begins, it begins.

Our responsibilities don’t wait for us. They’re always there, always looming.

It’s fine to want a work-life balance.

But perhaps the reason excuses happen and the dilemma arises is that fulfillment eludes you.

When you find meaningful work, the blessings flow and follow.

The only person responsible for placing you in a situation is yourself most times. Not that there aren’t things out of your control, but playing victim and pity only goes so far.

We are responsible for our mistakes, our choices more so.

If you eat trash every day, expect yourself to feel and look like it.

If you made the wrong choice for a partner—didn’t seek God’s counsel first—then it’s up to you to rectify it somehow.

I’m not advocating for divorce if you’re married, but learning to pray about things first is the best course of action.

Again, there is no room for excuses.

Seeking God’s face about our critical decisions is always best. He knows everything, everything that has or will happen, as well as the thoughts of every man and woman.

In seeking Yahweh, you can’t have an excuse. If you had sought His will first, the optimal choices would have presented themselves to you.

Often interlinked, bad habits and excuses are the mark of a believer still in need of milk, not solid food, in both the Word of God and life.

Seek God’s will in everything you do and you won’t be able to make excuses. Own up to mistakes, saying: “Wow, I wish I sought God’s will first, so from now on I will do that. He knows the best things for me, and I have to trust His plans over my own.”

In doing this, we eliminate any chance for excuses.

If God has given you a talent, then you must work hard to develop that talent. Have a bad day, an off week, but don’t blame anyone else.

If you entered a relationship blindly (romantic or platonic), there’s no need for an excuse. You deserve actual love and respect. If someone’s changing you for the worse, or you walk on eggshells every day, take that as a sign that something isn’t right.

If you dread going to work each day, take that as a sign that it’s time to move forward into a new trail, not the old paths. Or, be the one who makes a fresh path through the thicket.

Life isn’t long for us humans. We have limited time on this planet and this test of worth is here to prepare us for eternity.

We can’t stay stuck. We can’t mope around. We have to keep going.

Maybe that job isn’t for you. It might be right for someone else, but not for you. Your talents may be best serving others elsewhere.

Perhaps that person doesn’t understand you or you both hinder each other and it’s best to stay single until Mister or Miss Right comes into the picture. Of course, I mean this from a dating perspective, and marriage is far more complex. Commitment is covenant. I wouldn’t advocate divorce unless the unthinkable was happening or narcissistic tendencies came to light. God wants us to live in peace, not strife.

It goes for anything else as well. Losing weight, getting a degree, meeting a personal goal within a timeframe, and so much more.

We can’t have excuses if we walk with Christ.

Jeremiah thought he was too young, but God said He’d fill him with His words.

Moses couldn’t speak well, but he was part of a miracle in parting the Red Sea. How awesome was that? To be part of a miracle that only God Almighty could have done.

God calls us when we’re the one to do it. We don’t get to play Jonah and run away.

Enough is enough.

No more excuses.

No more detrimental habits.

Is it going to happen in one day?

No, but it’s time to end the excuses.

God is faithful, and we, too, must be faithful. Faith doesn’t make excuses. It believes and does what is required of us. Not of works, lest anyone should boast.

We are not victims. We are not inept.

In Christ we find our meaning, and in Christ we find our strength.

We are more than conquerors on a battlefield that doesn’t care about excuses.