What if you were to quit making excuses and said yes to God? It’s a simple question. And, it’s a question you might think doesn’t apply to you. But let’s ask another question… how often has your desire for what could be been held in check because you won’t give up the behaviors keeping you from it?
As we conclude our first Year of Listening Up, this month focusing on the idea saying yes to God, we’re going to ponder these questions. The answers will help put your 2017 into an appropriate context for living a more impactful life.
One that prospers people and glorifies God.
Why Do You Keep Making Excuses?
In the book of Haggai, we see how the former Babylonian captives were making excuses for putting God off and not rebuilding the temple. They claimed “it’s just not the right time” despite dedicating time and resources to building their own luxurious, panel houses even as God’s house remained in ruins.
God, through Haggai, says sixteen years is long enough. Obviously, their spiritual priorities were sorely misplaced (1:9–11). However, they were oblivious to that reality. Interestingly, God in his patience, continually facilitated acts in effort to nudge them toward understanding. However, they did not get there until Haggai began to minister.
You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get. – Haggai 1:9-11 (NLT)
Enough Making Excuses. Take Action!
Making excuses for putting God off – as the Remnant in Haggai did – keeps us from living purpose-fulfilling lives. Lets stop making excuses and take action.
“Go up to the hills,” Haggai says to the Remnant in verse 8, “and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may appear in my glory, says the Lord.” In other words, quit making excuses and get into action doing the work I have called you to do.
Just as the people of the Remnant did, we must awaken, quit making excuses and take action. To do that, consider your life as Haggai encouraged his people to consider theirs.
In what areas of life are you making excuses? Are you telling God that now is not the right time even as you know he clearly knows better?
Are you ready to say yes to God?
There are plenty of blog posts, books and magazine articles that express the discontent of not knowing one’s purpose. Here’s a post about not knowing your purpose that I’ve written. I also suggest you get the Refining Life, on Purpose Manifesto as it relates closely to this topic.
Even more important than those resources though, is your personal desire and will. You have to be ready and willing to let go of the things holding you back; those things that may even be obscuring God’s glory. You have an opportunity. I have an opportunity. We all have an opportunity to life a purpose filled life that can change the change lives – our own lives and the lives of others.
Making Excuses
We can be light in a darkened place.
We can dull a sour aftertaste
of life’s injustices.
We can be the salt of a bland existence.
We can bring the flavor of God
and bear witness.
We can live fulfilling, purpose-filled moments every day.
We can bring change to many others
in many special ways.
We can. Yes, we can
be put to many uses…
If only we’d stop making excuses.