This week in FIA we talked about how our excuses, although they are something we all have in common, are damaging to our faith in and walk with Jesus Christ. With excuses, we justify the things we shouldn’t be doing; and with excuses, we avoid the things we should be doing. To sum it up, excuses stunt our spiritual growth by preventing us from living and practicing the things that we say we believe.
Getting personal, what are some excuses you find yourself making when it comes to…
—spending time with God each day? (I’m too busy, I want to watch this show first, the Bible is too hard to understand, etc., etc., etc.)
—saying “no” to friends who encourage you to participate in things that are wrong? (they won’t like me anymore, I don’t want to be alone, they’ll think I’m a wimp, etc., etc., etc.)
—sharing Christ with others? (they’ll think I’m weird, they’ll reject me, they’ll make fun of me, etc., etc., etc.)
—helping around the house (I just don’t feel like it, I have other plans, I didn’t make that mess, etc.)
—doing your best in school (it’s just a grade, it’s too hard, I have better things to do, I don’t like math (or you fill in the blank) anyway, etc., etc., etc.)
Will you ask the Lord to help you recognize your excuses for what they are? Will you ask Him to give you the strength and determination to do something different than what you’ve done before? No lie, it is hard and scary to break the cycle of making excuses and start doing what you know is right, but God is faithful. Check out Psalm 37! It is filled with examples of how God’s got your back. He’ll never, ever let you down or let you go. Don’t miss verses 5 and 6, 16 and 17, and 23 and 24.
Today (and every day!) Jesus offers you the same simple invitation that he offered His disciples many years ago. He says, “Follow Me!” How will you answer Him? Will you follow Him at home? At school? At work? At play? To do that, are there things in your life you need to change? Friends? Relationship with parents? Bad habits? Language? Hobbies? Use of social media? Are you willing to give up the things that are keeping you from following Jesus? It might seem difficult (or even impossible), but by God’s grace and with His help YOU CAN!