We all do it. When we feel overwhelmed or inadequate, we make up excuses. We make up excuses to avoid doing something that we think we may fail at. But God didn’t say “get up and go…only if you are perfect, capable, skilled, … He said “Get up and Go! Go, make disciples of all the nations. Get up and walk. Be doers of the Word… go and tell…plant the seed, reap …” I’m sure you get the picture. How we follow God’s mandates is entirely unique to each of us. God did not call me to do what He called you to do because we are different. He has a purpose that fits my unique capabilities to a T. As do you! He designed each of us for our personal, unique God given purpose.

So those of you who say I’m too old, I’ve waited too long. I say “Phooey!” Excuses, excuses, excuses! You now have something some others don’t have – time! And lots of it! Sure you can spend your time watching re-runs of Everybody Loves Raymond” (I, actually, love that show) or do Sudoku until you are so mad you rip up the book because you can’t get it… OR…you can do something of eternal value! Hmmm…let’s weigh that for a minute…mindless time fillers…or…God-given purpose with eternal value…hmmmmm, what’s it gonna be!

Ok, so you think you’re too young?! You have something others don’t have too. Energy, Uncluttered life. Youth has it’s own advantages you know? Just ask anyone past the age of 30! They will give you a long list of why youth is the time to do something awesome! Time to fulfill purpose. Again, God knows what we are capable of because He handmade each of us. Young people can reach those that older people can’t. Young people have a way at looking at life and tackling it that older people don’t. Youth says “Why not?” while age has a way of making you come up with answers to that question (excuses). So don’t ever think you are too young or inexperienced to accomplish great things. All it takes is obedience to the one who has the plan, has the capabilities, and has the power to do all things. All it takes is YOU and the words “Yes, God!”

Too broke? Spreading the love of Christ doesn’t cost money. Too busy? I think we’ve all found ourselves in that place but this is where time management and saying the word “no” comes in handy. Don’t over schedule yourselves at the expense of fulfilling your purpose. What good does the other stuff do if you fail to do what God has called you to do? Bad childhood? Rise above it and be the great individual God created you to be. God is not limited by other people’s actions or inactions. He handcrafted you to fulfill a particular purpose and He is not swayed by what your parents or others did or didn’t do – He has purpose for YOU!

So, stop the excuses! The next time you find yourself pulling out an excuse – stop – and say out loud “God if you called me to it, You will bring me through it!” Sounds oversimplified doesn’t it? But if you say it enough, your spirit man will, in time, soak in that belief and you will find that you will not have to remind yourself so much but you will  simply believe it!

God doesn’t ask you to do anything that He did not create you to do. He is the master engineer. He knew the exact purpose you would serve and thus He created you with all of the capabilities, skills, talents etc. to do it. Satan on the other hand, will have you believe those excuses. He will try his best to hide your capabilities by life’s circumstances. He will get your mind off of what you can do and put it on what you can’t. He doesn’t want you to fulfill your purpose. He wants to keep you too busy, too fat, too skinny, too broke, too old, too young etc. He is the King of excuses, the master deceiver!

Who do you want to listen to?  Your creator, who knows exactly what you are capable of, who has good things in store for you, who loves you with an agape, unconditional love or The liar, the deceiver, the destroyer, the one who hates you and wants to take you to hell with him? Who do you want to listen to? The ONE who says “Yes, You Can” or the one who says, “no, you can’t”?

Your choice! Your life! Your purpose – fulfilled or not!

No more excuses! They aren’t real!

Just decide – either, yes I want to fulfill my purpose or no, I don’t want to! But no more excuses! Your choice – only!

“God, I ask that you remind me of who I am in you and that you’ve made me with all I will ever need to fulfill what you have called me to do. Help me to stop making excuses and Go, afraid or not, and do, with perfection or not! Better to be in your will with imperfection than sitting on the sidelines watching the world go by without me. I don’t want to make excuses anymore. I want to get up and go when and where you say! I want to make a path, where there was no path. I want to make a difference in someone’s life. I want to do that which I was created to do. God, I want to say “YES”! I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I know I can! God, honor my obedience and awaken those capabilities and skills that I’ve buried with fear and uncertainty. Empower them to grow and mature until they have reached their full potential within me. Cause me to be a light in an otherwise, dark world. I know, Lord, that if You brought me to it that You will bring me through it!”

If you prayed that prayer – Get ready! You are about to embark on a life that only Christ could orchestrate! Get ready to do something with eternal value. Get ready to rise above your excuses and fulfill your life’s purpose. GET READY!

If you’ve found yourself in that place of excuse making, comment and let us know how you are overcoming that. Encourage us to do the same! Together, we can  encourage, uphold, and empower each other.

Lessons From the Sticker Patch   by Shari England

 Review: 

The title of this book caught my attention because I, too, grew up in a rural area where sticker patches were common. The most dreaded of all were the sand spurs. They could attach from every angle to bare feet, shoe strings, or pants legs and then the unpleasant task of removing them left pricked and bloodied fingers. Much like life!

Ordinary…you know – common, unexceptional – one might even say boring!  The question is “can God use ordinary?”  Well, let’s ask David, Joseph, and Gideon.  All pretty ordinary individuals. 

David’s Dad didn’t even take him along when Samuel asked for Jesse’s sons so that one of them could be anointed King.  David was the little ruddy kid, out tending sheep because even his own Dad thought he was not extra-ordinary enough to be King. 

Joseph’s own brothers thought him to be a little braggart and a nuisance.  They hated him enough that they sold him into slavery while telling his father that he was killed.  He was a slave and falsely imprisoned.  How could God use a common criminal?

Gideon stated himself that his clan was the weakest and that he was the least in his father’s house.  Even Gideon knew he was ordinary!

What can God do with ordinary? 

Read the Book! 

David was a man after God’s own heart.  He was a great warrior and King.  Joseph was second in command in Egypt.  Only Pharaoh was above him.  Gideon and his clan of 300 defeated the Midianites.  All ordinary to the human eye, but God saw the extraordinary.  The willingness to heed God’s Word and act upon it.  The humility that said God gets the glory, not me!  The willingness to forgive when revenge was within grasp.  Not attitudes of the ordinary but of the extra-ordinary – above and beyond ordinary – greatness – uncommon men of God!

So next time you say “I’m too ordinary to do anything of worth” remember the trio of ordinary men that changed the course of their world.  Remember God sees what others don’t.  If God called you to it, He’s just God enough to bring you through it!  If He sent you, you have all the power necessary to change the course of your world.  God is not looking for exceptional, extraordinary, or mighty.  He is looking for you!  God doesn’t need someone who believes he/she is so great that they don’t need God.  He wants people like me and you, who know that if God doesn’t show up that we are in trouble because we can do nothing of ourselves. 

No talent…no problem!  No exceptional wisdom…that’s okay!  God has all the talent, gifts, wisdom…that will ever be needed!  He just needs ordinary, willing men and women! 

Don’t look now…but that’s you!