Excuses...

I caught myself the other day making an excuse for something a student failed to do for me. Something I require every chapter, every subject, every school year....since I started teaching years ago.

Oh, they have so much going on right now. I could just let this slide.

The problem with letting it slide is that once you start sliding, where do you stop? What I've found is that once I allow slippage in one area (great word!), it eventually occurs in all areas. Things like laziness creeps in, procrastination becomes the thing to do, and bad habits replace the good ones. 

You've probably realized by now that this same concept goes beyond the classroom.

The quote below says it best:

When we place higher expectations on ourselves for any type of job, we have a better chance of higher achievement than if we just did it to just get it done.

The Lord has high expectations for every believer. In fact, in Ephesians 4, Peter wrote: I therefore...beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called... (vs. 1) And how do we accomplish being worthy of our vocation? This takes putting off some things (concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt from verse 22) and then putting on some things (the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness from verse 24).

Our Father wants us to literally be holy. But as He which hath called called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (I Peter 1:15-16) 

Seems like some pretty high expectations, especially when we are constantly battling our flesh every. single. day.

So when we begin to think that there is just no way we could ever reach His expectations for our lives, our first instinct is to start throwing out the excuses. Well, I'm/We're just so busy/tired, I/we don't have time to_____________. (go to church, read my Bible, serve in a ministry, go out soulwinning) 

Funny how the Lord knew we'd want to lower His expectations for us...because He continued in Ephesians 4: Neither give place to the devil. (vs. 27)

One thing we know: God is not the author of confusion and neither is He the promoter of excuses. We can come up with those all on our own. But if we want to achieve a closer walk with our Heavenly Father, we've got to set aside the excuses, and just do what He's told us to do in His Word.

Are you ready? It's a brand new day with a new batch of mercies. Let's get out there and give it our all!

Simply Eliminating Excuses,