“ I can’t, I’m too young, I’ve never done that before “ , and the list goes on. Yes you guessed it, those are all excuses. Excuses have been around since the beginning of time. In Genesis 3:11-13 we read this, And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate, so we see that Adam started the finger pointing way back in the garden with the woman who gave him an apple to eat
So why do we make these excuses up, why do we find it so easy to use them? I believe that Excuses serve to justify poor choices, disguise fear, shift responsibility or relieve guilt.
We read that Moses made excuses by saying he is unworthy, unknowing, unable. All of those things may have been true, but are not good excuses because God promised to be with him. I think Moses was just plain out afraid.
We read in the Book of Exodus 3:9-14 that God wanted to use Moses in a mighty way, God said, “The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back: I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.” Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt? I’ll be with you,” God said. “And this will be the proof that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship God right here at this very mountain.” Then Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, ‘The God of your fathers sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What do I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’”
Think about this, isn’t it much easier not to take responsibility for a relationship with God? We can just accuse Him of being far away. It seems easier to point the blaming finger at the circumstances of life rather than overcome them. I make excuses about how some day, maybe I’ll have more time for God, more time to share the Gospel, more time to read the Bible. Perhaps you feel justified to use excuses because, like Moses, God is asking you to accomplish something you are unwilling, unprepared, or are afraid to do. For me, excuses masked my fear, vindicated my disobedience, and most of all consoled my guilt. My excuses and comfort zone are holding me back from finding the blessings and from being a blessing.
In John 8:12 we read this, Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.” Following Jesus will require that you stop making excuses, step outside your comfort zone, claim a faith that conquers fear, and dare to cross the street. Contentment to stay in a holy huddle or rely on your excuses will keep you from discovering the courage, confidence, and protection God will provide you through faith in Christ. There is more to the Christian life than just having faith, you have to put it to the test. Play the Hand You’re Dealt
So today I encourage you my friends, Step outside your comfort zone. When you feel your heart pounding and insecurity wells up in your thoughts, then you are perilously close to the edge of your comfort zone. Take one more step over the line and remember the verse: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13. You will be amazed what you find on the other side of fear and excuses. Put down your cards, God is calling your bluff.
Blessings Tim.J.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Friday, March 13, 2015
Agape Love,,it's the Best!!
Have you ever felt like you just don’t belong, like you aren’t part of the group? No matter how much you try to become friends and grow close you still feel like you’re on the outside looking in? Yeah sad to say it happens, and what’s even more disturbing to me is that it happens quite frequently in the church today. Yes I can hear you saying, “That’s sad but true Tim, but I’m so glad it doesn’t happen in our church”, take a closer look my friends, it happens, and it’s happening in most churches today, yes even ours.
There’s a longing in each of us to belong to find people who will accept us for who we are, not for who we pretend to be. It can be pretty tiring to feel like we have to veil or adapt who we are in order to please others.
The Bible says this in the book of John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
“But I’ve been let down by church,” you might say. It’s no secret that the church isn’t always great at loving. If you stick around long enough, you’re likely to be hurt in one way or another. But when we focus on the disappointments of our church experience, we can fall into a common pitfall in our search for belonging. We can spend so much time waiting for our church community to become what we want it to be that we forget our role in helping to make it a place marked by remarkable love.
We need to constantly be aware of the GMO’s that surround us, you say “what are GMO’s ? , they are the “greedy,miserable,obnoxious ! and yes they exist is church too. We need to surround ourselves with people that empower us, people that encourage and lift us up, there is no room in anyone’s life for those that tear you down, constantly destroying you, stay away from “fake or negative friends, you just don’t need them.
“Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, and never gives up.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
After 31 years of marriage, I love my wife more today than I did the day we said I do. The love we share grew over time ,through hardships, disappointments and moments of intense fellowship. My love for my wife is not based on what she did right and neither is her love for me. Our vows were not based upon a feeling because our feelings change daily. Over the years, I have found that love therefore, is a choice. Love is the foundation for all healthy relationships. The love I am referring to is” agape” love. Agape is wholly selfless, spiritual, and unconditional. That is the way God loves us. Regardless to how we treat him, His love never changes. Our relationships should NOT be based upon the love stories that bombard our television screens, the romance novels we read, or how good we make each other feel. Instead, our love for each other should be based solely upon the word of God. He teaches us how to love through His endless love for us. His love never fails. Love is demonstrated in our actions. An excellent example is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”
My friends I’m not pointing a finger at you, because when I do that, four more are pointing back at me. We just need to be aware of our actions, are we fulfilling what God has called us to do? Are we being ambassadors for Christ as we are called to be? I make no excuses for my short comings, I have let God down more times than I care to recount, and that doesn’t make it right. What is most important is that we are aware of whom we are and what God has called us to do, and that my friend is LOVE.
Romans 8:35 & 39 says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”. Love is the essence of God’s character and He never contradicts His own character. His love never waivers – despite personal perception or feeling – He loves us with an everlasting, unfailing love that always assures us that we have never been unloved.
Blessings. Tim
There’s a longing in each of us to belong to find people who will accept us for who we are, not for who we pretend to be. It can be pretty tiring to feel like we have to veil or adapt who we are in order to please others.
The Bible says this in the book of John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
“But I’ve been let down by church,” you might say. It’s no secret that the church isn’t always great at loving. If you stick around long enough, you’re likely to be hurt in one way or another. But when we focus on the disappointments of our church experience, we can fall into a common pitfall in our search for belonging. We can spend so much time waiting for our church community to become what we want it to be that we forget our role in helping to make it a place marked by remarkable love.
We need to constantly be aware of the GMO’s that surround us, you say “what are GMO’s ? , they are the “greedy,miserable,obnoxious ! and yes they exist is church too. We need to surround ourselves with people that empower us, people that encourage and lift us up, there is no room in anyone’s life for those that tear you down, constantly destroying you, stay away from “fake or negative friends, you just don’t need them.
“Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, and never gives up.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
After 31 years of marriage, I love my wife more today than I did the day we said I do. The love we share grew over time ,through hardships, disappointments and moments of intense fellowship. My love for my wife is not based on what she did right and neither is her love for me. Our vows were not based upon a feeling because our feelings change daily. Over the years, I have found that love therefore, is a choice. Love is the foundation for all healthy relationships. The love I am referring to is” agape” love. Agape is wholly selfless, spiritual, and unconditional. That is the way God loves us. Regardless to how we treat him, His love never changes. Our relationships should NOT be based upon the love stories that bombard our television screens, the romance novels we read, or how good we make each other feel. Instead, our love for each other should be based solely upon the word of God. He teaches us how to love through His endless love for us. His love never fails. Love is demonstrated in our actions. An excellent example is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”
My friends I’m not pointing a finger at you, because when I do that, four more are pointing back at me. We just need to be aware of our actions, are we fulfilling what God has called us to do? Are we being ambassadors for Christ as we are called to be? I make no excuses for my short comings, I have let God down more times than I care to recount, and that doesn’t make it right. What is most important is that we are aware of whom we are and what God has called us to do, and that my friend is LOVE.
Romans 8:35 & 39 says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”. Love is the essence of God’s character and He never contradicts His own character. His love never waivers – despite personal perception or feeling – He loves us with an everlasting, unfailing love that always assures us that we have never been unloved.
Blessings. Tim
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