Excuses

Luke 14: ¹⁵ Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

¹⁶ Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, ¹⁷ and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ ¹⁸ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ ²⁰ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ ²² And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ ²³ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

============

“Will you tell people about GOD in a 30 second message?” someone asked me. Afraid of offending my following and for fear of my job, I said “Not this time, I believe someone else should do this.”

• I remember times when I was too important to speak about GOD.
• I can recall moments when I could have spoken about GOD, but did not.
• I reflect on times when GOD wanted me to speak on HIS behalf, but something “I” wanted got in the way.

JESUS seems to be telling a statement rather than a story as HE speaks to the crowd. HE spoke of three people who made excuses for not coming to the “Great Supper.” Possessions, business or jobs and family were the excuses made for not answering the Master’s call. What should I do when GOD calls me?

• GOD wants me to respond when HE calls me to do something for HIM.
• GOD calls me to serve HIM daily, all I have to do is listen.
• GOD wants me to be excited about speaking about HIS SON, especially to those who will hear it.

Age, race, gender, time, health, finances or worry are all great reasons for me not to speak about GOD. I mean I’m only one person right? Kinda. GOD wants me to see I will always have an excuse not to speak about HIM. There will never be a good time for me to talk about HIM. BUT GOD is still worthy to be praised.

HE wants me to see opportunity to speak about HIM on a daily basis. No longer am I ashamed of JESUS and HE is no longer ashamed of me.

• Are you making excuses for not speaking about GOD?
• Do you speak about GOD only during times of plenty?
• Can you stop being ashamed of GOD and speak of HIS grace today?

Knowing Doing

Matthew 21: 28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

============

“Tell that person about ME” GOD said to me. “I can’t, they won’t listen to me.” The moment passed. “Tell that person about ME” GOD said to me again. “I can’t, I am at work.” The moment passed. “Tell that person about ME” GOD said on another occasion. I can’t, I’m at a club looking at, well I won’t go into that. The moment passed.

• Many times I know what I should do and not do it.
• Many times I have an excuse for not doing what I am supposed to do.
• Many times I have said “Yes I will do that” but wind up not doing it.

“Stop talking and start doing” is what I heard from someone. It did not have a profound message at the time but I did remember it. After a while I pursued CHRIST, seeking HIS way. I then heard someone say, “If you only had two weeks to live, what would you do differently?” Many answers came out and I thought about “tell people about CHRIST.” The conference leader then said “Then why don’t you do live like that each day?”

• GOD tells me what to do every day; it is up to me to listen.
• GOD gives me direction daily; I get blessed when I follow HIM.
• GOD talks to me on a regular basis, I only have to open my heart in order to hear HIM.

Clouded thoughts, fear, bitterness, lust, greed and other things got in the way as excuses for not serving GOD. BUT GOD was graceful enough to keep asking. HE knew HE could penetrate my stony heart and enable me to follow HIM little by little. GOD calls me to “do” all I have to do is obey.

• Are you ignoring GOD when HE is talking to you?
• Do you have too much going on to hear HIM?
• Can you slow down for a moment and listen to HIM today?

Excuses

Judges 6: ¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

¹⁵ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

¹⁶ The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

============

Distracted was the word that described my pitiful efforts. As I floundered through my classes I was stuck in a perpetual “I can’t do it” mode. I had no discipline, resources or focus and people expected me to graduate?! I didn’t even know where to begin.

• When I see nothing but problems ahead I am probably making up excuses.
• When I can’t think and I feel lost I am probably making up excuses.
• When I feel overwhelmed because the task at hand is huge and I feel small I am probably making up excuses.

Back then I couldn’t see how I was going to accomplish the task at hand because I made excuses. Everything was a barrier and I couldn’t find my way around, over or through them.  At one point I just sat in my apartment and stared in despair. BUT GOD had something different in mind.

• GOD says “Go in strength” meaning not my strength but HIS.
• GOD says “I am sending you” meaning HIS plan will work no matter what I will encounter.
• GOD says “I will be with you” meaning HE will be with me!

It is never my plans that succeed rather it is GOD’s plan that will never fail. When HE says “go” I must listen. When HE says “I will be with you” I should drop my fear and know HE is there to protect me. GOD tells me to “go in the strength I have” for in my weakness HE is strongest!

• Are you trying to do things with your own power?
• Do you have a very large task facing you?
• Won’t you ask GOD to take over your plan?
• Can you add trust to your plan?

Get your “But” out of here!

Numbers 13: ⁷ They gave Moses their report. They said, “We went into the land you sent us to. It really does have plenty of milk and honey! Here’s some fruit from the land.

²⁸ “But the people who live there are powerful. Their cities have high walls around them and are very large. We even saw members of the family line of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites live in the Negev Desert. The Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the central hill country. The Canaanites live near the Mediterranean Sea. They also live along the Jordan River.”

³⁰ Then Caleb interrupted the men who were speaking to Moses. He said, “We should go up and take the land. We can certainly do it.”

============

“Please represent us” was the cry at work from a group of people who seemed to have no voice. Who am I to speak to senior management about issues the employees were having. I mean they are savvy, have short attention spans and besides, our issues are big to us and small to them. I sat there wondering if I should speak up to these giants.

• People in high positions have made me nervous.
• People who seem stronger than I am have made me cringe.
• People and situations that seem much larger than me cause me to want to shrink back into the shadows and do nothing.

When I am faced with a large task I begin playing the outcomes in my mind.  I see what barriers there are, calculate the effort and multiply the time and money needed, subtract the bank account and it usually equals worry! “How can I do this” is usually what I wind up asking myself!

• All tasks are large to me without GOD.
• Even the easiest task is impossible without GOD.
• What seems impossible to me is extremely simple for GOD.

GOD doesn’t want me to think I can do anything without HIM.  In fact HE wants me to depend on HIM to deliver me into the “promised land.” I only need to recognize that if it is HIS plan, it won’t fail! Today I use GOD’s words given to Caleb… “We certainly can do it!”

• Are you facing a very large task?
• Do you feel overwhelmed?
• Can you seek the power of GOD instead of depending on your power?
• Won’t you bow to HIS plan, grace and might in order to accomplish what HE want you to?

Do I have a choice?

Hebrews 8: ¹⁰ This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel

    after that time, declares the Lord.

I will put my laws in their minds

    and write them on their hearts.

I will be their God,

    and they will be my people.

¹¹ No longer will they teach their neighbor,

    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

    from the least of them to the greatest.

¹² For I will forgive their wickedness

    and will remember their sins no more.”

============

I had some easy buildings to clean that night. Empty a few trash cans clean the bathrooms and the minimum was done. What could I do with all that “extra” time on my hands? I know… I can go to my apartment, eat and go back to work. “Who would know?” Well, my boss, to name one person.

• I have a choice between loving GOD and leaving GOD.
• I have a choice between following GOD versus following myself.
• I have a choice between GOD’s way versus my way.

I honestly have no excuse for when I choose to sin. I mean I actually know better but for some reason the thing I want to do seems like a good choice at the time. I actually, willingly choose to disobey GOD.

• GOD wrote HIS laws in my conscience so I would have a guide.
• GOD put HIS laws in my heart so I could experience HIS compassion.
• GOD placed HIS laws in my person so I could be forgiven.

I actually believe it is difficult to be sentenced to hell. I mean GOD made the provision for salvation so easy for me by taking on the penalty of sin. If I reject HIS SON as the savior then HE will remember all my sins. I am glad HE made it easy to accept HIS gift of grace.

• Are you fighting GOD?
• Is your life one struggle after another?
• Do you want a life filled with abundance and adventure?
• Won’t you allow GOD to move your heart so you can have a full life?