Lazy Excuses

As a little girl growing up in Dothan, Alabama, I attended a church concert at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church. The vocalist was about eleven years old and had the best enunciation I had ever heard and the biggest red hair I had every seen. Other than those two incredibly useless facts, I only remember two other things about the evening. It was hot, and the girl sang a cover song called Excuses. Part of the chorus went, “Excuses, excuses, you hear them every day! Well, the devil, he’ll supply them, if from the church you’ll stay away!” Add a great twang and you have the gist of the evening. Excuses, however, are not just used for skipping regular fellowship with other believers. Just about anything can conjure up an excuse.
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Excuse (noun)
1. A false reason that enables somebody to do something he or she wants to do or avoid something he or she does not want to do
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I firmly believe that many times my excuses are basically a cover for plain old laziness. A lack of self control over my temper is really a sign that I am too lazy to do the hard thing and use that particular fruit of the spirit. Making excuses for missed devotional time is simply a lazy streak in the faithfulness department. The overflowing ironing basket is a result of my lazy choice to sit and read instead of finishing my work.
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The good news is that I do not have to continue making excuses! I can diligently seek to be a good manager of my home, a woman characterized by a gentle manner and wisdom that comes from consistent time in the Word. There is no excuse for any form of sin in my life because the Lord has faithfully made a way for me to avoid it. If you are an excuse maker, there is hope for you as well in the perfect and complete Word of God!
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The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. Proverbs 13:4
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Prayer:
Father, thank You that I do not have to live a life filled with excuses. I can rest on the promise that the soul of the diligent shall be made rich with the treasure of You! Amen.
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Challenge:
Examine your life closely this week and see if you have fallen into the habit of making excuses, whether it is missing church because you need to catch up on yard work or leaving the grocery cart parked aimlessly in the middle of the store parking lot. Ask the Lord to show you how your excuses are affecting your testimony and His image. Look at the Word to see what sin your excuse is making room for in your life.
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Jen 2009