Excuses

Two weeks ago, I had an experience that confronted me with a deeper spiritual truth. It pushed me into a very sensitive reflection, and after that moment, there was a shift in my mindset.

I kept pondering on how I react to God's work, the many excuses and the lack of commitment on my part as a Christian, and how God feels whenever I act in a way not pleasing to him.

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That very day, I called on one of my pioneer staff to know why he hadn't been showing up as expected. Instead of responding positively to the work on the ground, he began to make excuses; all of his many excuses sounded unreasonable and annoying to me. It simply revealed a lack of commitment on his part, and obviously I was very annoyed as a boss.

I told him that I would prefer to work with committed staff who wouldn't hide behind many excuses and still expect a salary at the end of the month. I went further to let him know that lack of commitment wouldn't give me the kind of results I desire for my business but rather his attitude will slow things down for me. My conversation with the staff ended on a rough note, but then...

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I had to reflect after the anger had settled and felt guilty within, especially after listening to our church leader give teachings from Luke 14:12-24 the next day. The teaching was about the parable of the great banquet, where some people were invited for the banquet, but unfortunately, they began to make excuses. One of the invitees said he had his own oxen to test, another said he had land to attend to, and the other said he just got married. Looking closely at the reasons they gave, it wasn't sinful but rather valid, yet they are still a bunch of excuses.

Then, our leader went further to explain something that got me thinking. She said that the Lord's invitation is rejected with many excuses as it pleases humans. We simply choose to do things of God when we want and without commitment.

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At this point, my experience with my staff confronted me deeply. I felt disrespected when my staff was making excuses; I felt hurt and unimportant. I felt like he didn't care about the vision of my business, but the self-question I gently asked myself was, if I felt this way when my staff made excuses for me, how does God feel when I make loads of excuses to him as well?

I had wanted staff who are committed, and that's exactly how God expects his children to stay committed to his way. I have always wanted staff who respond when I call immediately and not the type who will make excuses. In the same way, God expects his own to respond to his invitation. I couldn't just ignore how the two scenarios are very much related . It was as if the parable was made for me to reflect on at a time like this in my life.

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There were important lessons this reflection taught me. Firstly, excuses are not always lies; life can get very busy with many demands, but regardless of our valid reasons for making excuses, we can always prove our commitment to whatever we treasure. Some staff you see today grow rapidly regarding their finances, not because they are free from problems but because regardless, they show up consistently.

The same thing is applicable to Christians. When you prioritize God and show commitment, spiritual growth and maturity happen so fast.

That same encounter with my staff shifted something in me greatly. Just before I get furious at people over their many excuses, I should first check inwardly the kind of excuses I make to God too. All the prayers I postponed, the service to him I delayed, and many more of God's assignments I kept pushing aside, saying "later," which most times becomes never.

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If you treasure commitment in your business and your dealings with humans so you can experience progress, think of how much more God expects you to stay committed to his kingdom projects.

Please Note: I took the images used in this post from canva app