Heard a great message today. In it, two good definitions of "excuse" were presented. You know what you used to say to your parents when you came home late and they asked, "What's your excuse for being late?" You came up with something really clever in order to avoid taking responsibility, usually. Well, this message really hit the nail on the head and I believe every one of us should ponder the following:
Excuse: A reason put forward to justify an offense.
Excuse: Me, removing myself from the path of blame. (Creflo Dollar's definition)
If I first look at myself, which I try to do each time I hear a message that I also think could relate to someone else, I see that I have multiple excuses for things I do or say. Why? Because I'm not ready to take the blame for my own bad choices. I'm not ready to own up to what I have done in a particular situation. My carnal nature automatically moves into "excuse" mode: "I have to keep myself safe"; "I had to say that in order to save face"; "I didn't know"; "I am simply protecting my own life". The ONLY test to see if we have moved into "excuse-land" is to see if what we have done lines up with Scripture or not.
Excuses...I've learned first-hand that giving excuses truly IS trying to remove myself from the path of blame. But, it always catches up with me, you, us. I've found God won't let me, you, us, live in a world of excuses for long, IF we are completely open to Him showing us our true hearts and open to hearing HIS voice. The beauty in "owning up" is that when we do, THEN God can bring healing. As long as we "make excuses", for whatever reasons, we shut out His healing power in that area of our lives. Yes, it hurts like crazy to "own up", but the healing balm and growth that follows is well-worth the Surgeon's knife.
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