Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

Image by Wonderlane via Flickr

Hi Everyone!

I haven't mastered the art of placing captions under the pictures yet, so this is a picture of an antique Bible dated back to 1865. It is made from boards and leather.

Tonight my post is meant to be an eye-opening experience. A friend of mine sent me an e-mail, and it really got me to thinking. How many times have I made excuses when that little voice inside of me told me to do something? The times I have had the feeling I needed to give someone some money, put extra in the collection plate, give someone some of my time for them to cry on my shoulder. Too many to count. "I don't really have much time", I need this $5.00 to put in the gas tank, they might be offended if I start preaching to them and actually tell them God loves them". When I think of all of the opportunities I have missed to obey God's wishes, it grieves my soul. The main reason I very rarely witness to people is that I get tongue-tied when I speak other than in regular conversations, at least that's what I tell myself, it sounds better than "I don't want to be rejected". Well, after this e-mail, I find I have no excuses. God can use anyone for anything. He will not give us a task to accomplish without equipping us with the tools.

This is what I learned tonight, or should I say re-learned. I already knew it, I had just blocked it out.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember....

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused

Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God

Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ (3 times!)
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
Mary Magdalene was promiscuous
the Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once...
Zacchaeus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer.....

AND
Lazarus was dead!

Now! No more excuses! I hope this comes across as "seeds sown" and not preaching. As my Pastor has said more than once whenever we point fingers, we have 3 pointing back at us. I was really preaching to myself, because I am the Queen of Excuses. I hope this was interesting to you, and remember,

God can use you to your full potential.
You aren't the message, you are just the
messenger.


Good night All, and May God Bless!

PJ