EXCUSES

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In 2 Corinthians 8:7-12, Paul reminds the church at Corinth of the promise they made to assist in the offering for the church in Jerusalem. Though they had committed, they had not followed through. Paul urges them to finish what they started, demonstrating sincere love and responding to God’s grace. They were to complete the task according to their ability.

Some of us need to finish what we started. Last year, we were excited and eager. We entered this year on fire, committed to being different. But once we faced the same old temptations, we slipped back into old ways. Pleasing God was no longer a priority. We started well—now we need to finish.

The truth is, excuses only satisfy those who give them. We use excuses to justify being less than what God has called us to be. “I would do more, but my family is dysfunctional.” “I would be more, but I don’t have any money.” “I would be more, but I’m not educated.” Excuses!

We use excuses to say no to God. Jobs, school, parents, busy schedules, children, and a host of other distractions keep us from participating in ministry. We say we’re too young or too old. Although God is calling us to greater things, we settle for average. We even twist His Word to justify sin.

We also use excuses to minimize our failures and justify our sins. “I wouldn’t have said that if you hadn’t made me mad.” “At least all I’m doing is watching porn.” “We need to do something before marriage to make sure we’re compatible.” “We’re living together to see if marriage will work for us.” “I lied to protect you.” “What I did wasn’t that bad—it’s not like I’m out killing people.”

As long as we keep making excuses, we’ll never change. We must reach a point where we stop making excuses and start making changes. We need to take responsibility for ourselves. Realize that although something may not be your fault, it’s still your responsibility. It’s not your fault that you got knocked down, but it’s your responsibility to get back up. It’s not your fault which family you were born into, but it’s your responsibility to make the most of the opportunities you’ve been given. We should all strive to live a life with no excuses.

No Excuses! Finish!
Jesus died so that you could finish. Jesus rose so that you could finish. Jesus lives so that you can finish. It’s not enough to have good intentions—we must honor our commitments.