Today's Daily Devotional - "Excuses, Excuses, Excuses" - 8/10/17

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

 
As school is about to re-open, there's no doubt teachers are getting ready to hear some incredible excuses from their students. Whether excuses for students' absence, bad behavior, or reluctance to complete their assigned homework.

Here are some actual notes written by "parents", with the original spelling, asking their children to be excused.

“Please excuse Jason from being absent on June 28,29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.”

“Please excuse Eddie for being. It was his father’s fault.”


“I kept Sadie home because I had to go Christmas shopping and did not know what size she wears.”

“Molly won’t be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.”

“Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating.”

“My son is under doctor’s care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.”

Our word of the day is “excuse.”

It's good to usually highlight words that are encouraging, uplifting, edifying and challenging. However, sometimes it’s good to think about areas in which we need to improve. Excuse making is a universe problem shared by every single last one of us.

Giving excuses for bad behavior began in the garden of Eden when Adam excused himself and blamed his wife. Eve’s excuse was the original “The Devil made me do it.”

Jesus spoke to the issue of excuse making when he told the story about the man who prepared a great feast and began inviting people and they made excuses. One said, “I’ve purchased some land and need to go see it.” Another had bought some oxen and needed to examine them. And a third fellow said, “I just got married. So I just can’t come.” In the parable the master was angry at the excuses. And he opened up his great supper to the common folks often overlooked. (Luke 14:16-23)

I’m sure there are several great lessons from this parable. But one lesson is that Jesus won’t accept excuses!

God calls on us to be responsible, accountable and reliable. Just like he held Adam and Eve responsible for their actions. He holds you and me responsible.

Do you excuse yourself for personal failure by saying, “I’m only human?”

Do you excuse yourself for tardiness because of traffic, or a faulty alarm clock, or someone didn’t wake you up?

Do you excuse yourself for procrastination by saying, “I’ve been too stressed” or “too busy” or “too preoccupied”?

Do you excuse yourself for not giving by saying “I can’t” when in reality the answer is “I won’t”?

Do you excuse yourself from spiritual obligations by saying, “I don’t have the time” or “Others are better than I am” or “I’m too old…too young…too tired”?

Do you excuse yourself for being late to church because everybody does it, because we're Ghanaian, and Ghanaians work on Ghanaian time (which is like 2hours behind regular time)?

There is an old saying, “If it is important to you, you will find a way, if not you will find an excuse."

Dave Del Botto was right when he wrote, “No one ever excused his way to success.” This is true in your home life. Your work. And your spiritual responsibilities.

On the day of Judgment God will not accept our lame excuses for failing to grow spiritually, serve others, participate in Christian fellowship, worship faithfully, or share His Word.

Make this two-word affirmation your life’s motto: “No excuses!”



-Adapted from Pastor Ken's Daily Devotionals

 Today's Prayer Focus: Intercessory Prayers for Friends/Family--Scheduled Bible Reading: Genesis 19-21

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