If you are ever in need for an excuse or a reason not to grow closer to God, I promise that you will find one…every single time. Not feel like doing your daily quiet time today? I’m sure you can find a hundred things that need to be done. Not in the mood to spend your weekend at the food closet? That’s right, there’s that one trip you’ve been needing to take and this just might be your last chance for a while. Does going to the Sunday worship service not appeal to you this week? Perhaps you think you might be sick and you don’t want to risk possibly getting anybody else sick. Or a family member is sick and you don’t feel right going to church without them.
There is pretty much an unlimited supply of excuses that will get you out of any spiritual commitment you have made. The enemy has worked long and hard to make sure that you don’t have to. So if you ever feel the need to back out on an obligation or skip out on something that will bring you closer to God just this one time, there will undoubtedly be something that comes up at the last minute to help keep you in your Snuggie.
The enemy is working hard to keep you distracted. He is ready to do whatever it takes to help put some distance between you and God. As Christians, we have to be ready for those attacks. We have to be “excuse-proof” when it comes to the things that really matter.
If your daily reading, prayer time, corporate worship services, Christian fellowship, and ministry work are not on top of the list of "things that really matter,” we need to be having a different conversation. But assuming they are, what is stopping you? What are those excuses that keep getting the best of you and are keeping you from growing closer to God?
We all need to stop looking for excuses. Their constant availability is one guarantee that we all have to overcome. How do we expect to get to know Him if we are not willing to sacrifice for the relationship? How can we ask for Him to use us if we are not willing to follow the commands He has already given us? How do we expect to carry our crosses if a case of the sniffles keeps us on the couch?
Let’s start now. Seriously…no more excuses.