No Excuses

Maria C Dawson: Stupefied "No Excuses"

Only by the grace of God, I had an opportunity for a parenting moment today. This Friday, her youth group is having a Bring-A-Friend night. I asked her who she was going to bring. She said she wasn’t going to bring anybody. I asked her why. She gave me a whole litany of reasons why she wouldn’t even bother. All of her reasons were valid. All of her reasons were legitimate. The most difficult thing about bringing somebody to our church is that we live in Irvine and our church is in Torrance. So, I heard her out. For all of her reasons, though, I still did not hear a good enough answer as to why she shouldn’t (or couldn’t) bring a friend. I had a rebuttal for every single argument.

I looked up the phrase “no excuses” on Google images. These are the top ten things that came up:

  • You can have RESULTS or EXCUSES . . . not both.
  • You can make EXCUSES or you can make PROGRESS. Your choice.
  • When I lost all of my EXCUSES, I found my RESULTS.
  • I don’t make EXCUSES. I make RESULTS.
  • If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find an EXCUSE.
  • Too tired? Too busy? Too weak? No EXCUSES!
  • Be stronger than your EXCUSES.
  • Get sh*t done.
  • “99% of failures come from people who have the habit of making EXCUSES.” George Washington Carver
  • “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an EXCUSE.” Jim Rohn

I had another conversation this past week with this lady I know. I was trying to convince her that joining a small group would be a really good idea. She gave me every excuse in the book as to why she couldn’t join a small group at this time. She REALLY wanted to join a small group, but she had this things and that thing. Husband works late. Kids have lots of homework. I told her that she could come up with all kinds of reasons why she couldn’t join small group, but she should try to come up with all the reasons why she should.

Today, I heard a sermon from one of my favorite brothers in Christ. It was so timely, because he was speaking about Elijah and his encounter with the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). Elijah had so many reasons not to engage with King Ahab and Jezebel and their false prophets. He had so many excuses not to, but he did . . . and the rest was history.

My daughter was sitting with me as I heard this sermon today. So, I asked her, “Do you think God wants you to bring somebody this Friday or not?” You know what her answer was. I encouraged her that if the Big Guy in the Sky wanted her to bring somebody, He would demonstrate His power and make it happen.

What is your excuse for not obeying God and doing the thing that He has asked you to do? Why would He ask you if He didn’t think you could do it? What kind of parent asks a child to do something knowing they will fail? What has God called you to do and you have told Him that you know better than He does? You are telling Him that you can’t do the thing for which He has made you.

Change your perspective. God created you. God loves you. God has asked you to do something. This thing He has asked you to do . . . you can do. The only thing in the way of doing this thing . . . is you.

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

Photo credit: Maria Dawson


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