Find an excuse for an excuse - Silent Motivations

 

Excuses are not reasons

 

Thursday, September 28th, 2023

by Ken Pullen

 

Words, language are so important. And so neglected, abused, and treated worse than food scraps in a trash bin. Long before I was transformed and made into a new person by the Supernatural power of the Spirit of God, long, long ago I knew the difference between an excuse and a reason.

These are very important things to discern for everyone every day. Because we all make excuses. And more frequently than not claim them to be reasons.

A reason to be late is that you were involved in a traffic accident. Either directly or indirectly.

An excuse is that there was a lot of traffic. Of course there was. There usually is isn’t there?

And we know or we all ought to know the difference and be strong enough, mature enough to fess up and be honest, shouldn’t we?

I just finished reading an article titled “Busy or Lazy? Top 10 Reasons Christians Don’t Read the Bible As They Should.”

I carefully went through the entire presentation. I am going to list every REASON presented and then show how it is really an EXCUSE and the word reason is used improperly. Why? To make people feel good? To attempt to deflect and ease the truth? What does that benefit anyone?

#1 excuse: Too busy.

It was presented as a reason — stating work, taking care of children, cooking, cleaning, and everything else taking up time in one day.

Time for everything and everyone else except God? Really? If an individual is well enough, conditioned enough, capable enough to manage all of the above and get through a day how is it then that same individual cannot schedule and manage time for spiritual well-being and health, time to go into God’s Word for help, strength, guidance, inspiration, assurance, and uplifting that will aid in every aspect of daily life in everything else.

We do what we want. We do what we make our priorities. And God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, humble spiritual prayer, and going to and studying, meditating upon the Word of God comes in last, if at all, in most lives. This is addressed to those professing to be Christians.

Too busy is an excuse. Not a reason.

#2 excuse: You’re too tired.

Yes, we’re all tired, aren’t we? Met anyone recently that isn’t? What to do? How about placing God, placing going to the Lord, going to the Word of God at the beginning of the day rather than thinking you’ll get around to it and then lying in bed, thinking of everything happening, everything needing to be done, work, money, fears, hopes, before falling off into dreamland, or nightmare and neglecting to hear from God, growing closer to God and Christ through Their Word, once again.

Constant planning, constant scheduling of things? Why not plan and schedule that which is truly of the greatest value and importance higher on the list? That is going to the Lord, going to the Lord’s Word.

Too tired is an excuse. Not a reason.

#3 excuse: You lack motivation.

Really? I’ll copy the words from the article for this one;

“This is such a common trap that so many people fall into. If you are simply waiting for the magical motivation fairy to pay you a visit so you can “feel” like reading your Bible, this may never happen. As a grown-up, there are some things we have to discipline ourselves to do because they are good for us, whether we “feel” like it or not. (For example, eating vegetables, going to work, brushing our teeth…)  The good news is, once you create a consistent habit, it becomes MUCH easier to get and stay motivated.”

If waiting to “feel like it,” it is highly likely that “feeling” will never come. There is always going to be an excuse, not a reason, to claim to lack motivation.

Ever wonder what this world would be like, what eternity would be like if God lacked motivation in coming to earth fully truly as God, fully truly as man, to sacrifice Himself in one of the most horrific ways to die, shedding His precious blood, for the forgiveness of sin and the opportunity for salvation and eternal life?

Lacking motivation because a person doesn’t “feel like it” is a heinous excuse. Not a reason.

#4 excuse: You’re too distracted.

Well, take some responsibility and control rather than permitting so many external elements to dictate and control you. Yes, there is a lot to pay attention to and do daily — work, spouse, children, everything else that can arise — but don’t allow everything else and everyone else to control you.

Also, put down the phone! No, don’t just put it down…turn it off and imagine life before having to have a phone in your hand, turned on, controlling life. Imagine that. And live life actually once again. Without that glowing rectangle in your hand controlling you like a yo-yo is controlled on a string like a remote-controlled toy or vehicle is controlled.

Also, don’t permit the internal, the constant mental lists, the constant mental conversation to distract.

Again, how would you like it, how would you respond if God was distracted at a very crucial point and time in your life, and as a result horrendous events happened to you?

Try to imagine what it is like for God to know every thought of every person always. To be the Creator, to know how many hairs are on every head and we claim we’re too distracted to go to His Word and read it daily, to study it, to meditate upon it and be fed that which guides us better than anything else on earth?

No, claiming too many distractions is just another excuse. A really poor one. Not a reason.

#5 excuse: You simply forget.

Really? Are we going with this? Seriously? Claiming what? Dementia? Alzheimer’s? The dog ate your Bible?

Simply forgetting doesn’t hold any water. It reveals an utter lack of having God truly in one’s life. Having the Lord Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit of any real importance. Lacking the proper placement and priority.

  • Get in the habit of reading your Bible at the same time each day.
  • Set an alarm on your phone (maybe two!) since no one can breathe, have their heartbeat, or appear to be animated and alive without their phone controlling their life.
  • Leave your Bible somewhere you’ll see it (for example, on the kitchen counter or on your pillow, so it’s right in your way at bedtime, or better yet upon waking up to the new day the Good Lord has blessed you with life once again as it is only by God’s will everything is held together and there is another day to awaken too!).

Simply forgetting is one of the lamest and feeble of excuses. Not a reason.

#6 excuse: You are lacking Bible knowledge.

Understandable. We’ve all been there. The only way to become Bible literate, Bible fluent and to grow spiritually, to know God better, to know God’s will, to become mature in faith, to become equipped for everything this life throws at us is to spend more time in God’s Word. Not less. Not shying away due to a lack of Bible knowledge. Until and unless taking the necessary steps, the necessary action we never can do anything. There was a time you could not walk, could not read, could not drive, could not feed yourself, could not navigate a TV remote or a computer. But now you can.

God’s Word is easy enough for a child to understand. Do not permit the voice of Satan to make it seem so complex, so difficult, so much to take in that the Book leading to life and a relationship with God remains closed and never opened and studied.

Learn how to read the Bible.

Lacking Bible knowledge is just another excuse. Not a viable reason.

#7 excuse: You lack intimacy with God.

Reexamine numbers 1 through 6 for starters. Again, I will use the word for word quote from the article I came upon and decided to put this piece together;

“How is your relationship with God right now? Is there anything God has asked you to do that you’ve refused or neglected to obey Him on? Are there any things you’re doing right now that you know God would not approve of, but you haven’t stopped? Do you mostly ignore God and only come to Him when you need something?

The Bible isn’t a novel or a how-to guide, where you can simply pick it up and get simple, static information. Rather, the Bible is one of the primary ways God speaks to us today. Therefore, if you and God aren’t exactly on “speaking terms” right now, then it only makes sense that you would struggle to hear Him through the pages of His Word.”

#8 excuse: You think going to church is enough.

It isn’t. Not even close. Think again. And begin to think as a true Christian. No excuses!

First, is the church you attend reading, and preaching every Sunday from the whole Word of God? Actually reading the Holy Bible aloud and a pastor, a preacher giving an expository sermon, as he relies upon the Holy Spirit, to allow the will and Word of God to work in the congregation?

It is wonderful, it is imperative to find and attend a sound doctrine church regularly. To honor the Sabbath, whether believing that day to be Saturday or Sunday, to set aside a day to praise God, to honor God, to worship God. To cease from work and hear God’s Word and meditate upon it, To fellowship with like-minded believers.

But that is certainly not enough nor living the life of one that has been transformed, made anew by the Supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, is it?

Perhaps God would like to help you, and show you something you need in His Word that isn’t being preached from the pulpit of your church.

Perhaps one spiritual meal weekly is not enough to sustain and properly be fed. Imagine that…

No, thinking attending a church on Sunday is enough is just another excuse. Not a reason.

#9 excuse: You believe Scripture study is only for select folks, like those imagined to be “Super Spiritual.”

Good at concocting excuses, aren’t we? Ahh, the cunning lies and deceptions we tell ourselves. Wasn’t it so good to disobey God in the Garden and instead listen to the lying serpent, that teaches lying and deception?

Do not look to others in almost everything in this life. Look and deal with, do something about your individual and personal relationship with God, with Christ, with the Holy Spirit and that is only accomplished in consistent, dedicated, disciplined time spent in the study, the humble and diligent study and meditation — thinking deeply — on what is read and studied. Daily. Nightly. Regularly. Making it habit-forming. Like so many make watching American Idol, or Dancing With The Stars their habit, and so many other habits taking us from God, from the Lord Jesus Christ, grieving the Holy Spirit, and keeping us from growing in spiritual maturity, spiritual understanding, spiritual wisdom, and discernment only attained from time in God’s Word and fervent humble prayer.

#10 excuse: You don’t believe it’s important.

From the article;

“If you’ve never experienced God’s power and presence for yourself through the pages of His Word, you likely don’t even know what you’re missing out on! It’s one thing to know that Christians “should” read the Bible. It’s another to truly know for yourself how powerful and life-changing it can be. Of course, the only way to do that is to start reading Scripture for yourself!”

Time spent with the Lord, and that is achieved in the reading and study of His Word, is the most important act any person can do. Until and unless that is realized and believed, and until and unless an individual experiences the life-changing power of God working in them they truly do not know or understand what they are missing out on.

We all need to heed the excuses we make. For none of them are truly reasons.

There is a great difference between an excuse and a reason.

Reasons are real. You’re late because there was a 176-car pile-up on the Interstate, and you were vehicle number 73 in the carnage. Unhurt, thankfully, but going to be exceedingly late nonetheless. Excuses are something we create in a vain and foolish attempt at reasoning things out to make us feel better. To excuse us.

Funny how interchangeable that word is, isn’t it?

I’m guilty at some time, some point in my life of all of the above.

Let’s be honest with ourselves because there is no hiding from God, no fooling God. He will not, does not fall for our excuses.

And there is no justifiable reason for neglecting Scripture reading, study, and meditation on a daily, disciplined basis. To come to love the Word of God. To come to understand the daily spiritual nourishment and food provided is of more importance and greater value than the best earthly food available.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

We all need that lamp, to light each of our paths don’t we?

No more excuses.