What Excuses Do You Have for Not Improving?

excuses

You can have excuses, or you can have results.  But you can’t have both.”  


I’m not sure where I first heard that quote, but it needs to circulate more widely these days.  We live in the era of excuses.  Most, if not all, of us succumb to its temptation at some time or another.

Teams would be undefeated if not for partial referees, adverse conditions, or cheating opponents.

Pastors would be more successful if their church members would fall in line.

Workers would do a better job of their bosses were nicer and co-workers not so incompetent.

You get the picture.  Our shortcoming are always the result of someone else or something less than perfect.  It’s NEVER us.

The problem with excuses is not whether or not they are legitimate.  The problem is that they prevent us from ever improving.  If the problem is always outside of us, then why would we ever evaluate ourselves.

God expects us to take a look at our own hearts rather than making excuses.

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Encouragement to Avoid Excuses

God encourages self-examination.  Consider the following verses.

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Are You Living in Your Sweet Spot?

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Pretty much every concern of life falls into one of three categories – things I cannot control, things I can control but shouldn’t, and things I can control and should.  How I choose categorize the daily cares and responsibilities of my life will determine my attitude and eventually my attitude will determine my effectiveness.

Many things fall into the category of things that I cannot control. For most of us, many things lie outside of our control – the weather, others’ actions and opinions of us, the ebb and flow of daily events, just to name a few.  Trying to control the uncontrollable only leads to frustration, anxiety, and ultimately burnout.  We need to remember to trust God and follow His leading in these situations. (Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 3:5,6)

When we try to control things we can but shouldn’t, we can overload ourselves with too many responsibilities.  In doing this we can rob others of the joy of accomplishment, or enable those who should be taking responsibility to continue to shirk their responsibilities.  Even more dangerously, we may grow resentful over increased responsibility rather than joyful in the Lord.

When we learn to discern and concern ourselves on with those things we can and should control, we enjoy the freedom to live joyfully and enthusiastically.  We enjoy what Max Lucado in his book Cure for the Common Life calls “living in your sweet spot.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

Be mindful today of the things you do and why you do them.  Do you live from a sense of purpose and calling or do you live out of obligation and a sense of “if I don’t do it no one else will”?

Choose to live on purpose, intentional, and in what Christ has given you to do for this day.