Choosing Faithfulness over Excuses
28TH NOVEMBER 2024
“But one by one they all made excuses…”[Luke 14:18]
As we consistently learn about faithfulness this month, we must learn that the primary thing that stops us from being faithful is making excuses. This necessitates our discussion in today’s devotional so that we can always be faithful.
What is an excuse? An excuse can be simply defined as a reason for not doing something you were expected to do. While making excuses may seem justified, it actually prevents us from being faithful and fulfilling our purpose. For example, consider the man who wanted to follow Jesus but used the excuse of needing to bury his father first, as mentioned in Matthew 8:21. If he had chosen to follow Jesus without giving an excuse, he might have become a great disciple or even written a book of the Bible. However, because of his excuse, he missed out entirely on a great opportunity.
Another story that illustrates how excuses prevent us from being faithful is the story of the five talents Jesus told. In that parable, three different individuals were given talents, but their responses varied in how they used them. The first two, who received five and two talents respectively, chose to use their gifts without making excuses. In contrast, the third person, who had one talent, provided excuses that prevented him from utilizing his talent. Using our God-given gifts and talents is how we demonstrate faithfulness. When we are faithful in small things, it helps us to grow in our abilities. For instance, the person who was faithful with five talents ended up with ten. Our response must always be like the five and two talents holder in the story.
Let’s take a closer look at our main text, Luke 14:18–19. In these verses of scripture, we notice that three different excuses are presented. One excuse is related to property, another to oxen, and the last to marriage. These three excuses reflect the justifications we often make concerning our desires, jobs, families, and more.
Regardless of the nature of our jobs, careers or families, Jesus should be our priority. Any excuse that diminishes His priority in our lives prevents us from being faithful.
Why do we make excuses? Sometimes, giving an excuse feels more convenient than being faithful. However, it’s important to remember that we are not called to take the easy path in our walk as Christians. Often, our excuses reflect our bad habits. More frequently than not, we make excuses when we feel lazy or fearful, much like the man who was given one talent.
Today, let’s examine the excuses we’ve made and how often they stemmed from our bad habits, which in turn have taken us further from fulfilling our purpose and ask the Holy Spirit for help.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to stop making excuses and give us the grace to remain faithful in the work you have called us to do. So when all is said and done, you can call us good and faithful servants.Amen.
Further Reading: Matthew 8:21, Matthew 25:14 — 25
