If you asked them, most Christians would say they want to live their lives on mission. But when it comes to what they actually do with their time, living on mission doesn’t seem to be a priority. The truth is that we all have things we want to do, but never do. Too often, there’s a gap between our intentions and our actions.
Why is there a gap?
Typically, the gap is built on excuses. Think about it: What’s holding you back from telling people about Jesus? There could be any number of reasons that you might give. But, when you really get to the bottom of those reasons, what’s left? Aren’t they really just excuses?
One day, Jesus told the story of a king who hosted a banquet and invited all of his friends to come. The king waited for everyone to show up, but no one came. Instead, “They all began making excuses” Luke 14.18 NLT.
One of them said that he couldn’t come because he’d just bought a field and had to inspect it. Another said that he had to try out the oxen he’d just purchased. A third person insisted that he couldn’t come to the party because he’d just gotten married.
Excuses are explanations for why you can’t do something. They sound rational; that’s why they’re also called rationalizations. Unfortunately, excuses don’t help. They simply keep you from doing the things that truly matter.
In life, important things are seldom easy. There’s usually a little bit of risk required. It may take some sacrifice to make progress in an area that you’ve neglected. That’s why excuses are such a problem. You can always come up with an excuse to let yourself off the hook from doing what needs to be done.
Leave your excuses behind
To start living the way you want to live, you have to leave your excuses behind. Specifically, when it comes to sharing your faith, it’s time to move beyond your excuses. Every time you give an excuse for not sharing your faith, you’re robbing yourself of the joy that comes from being obedient to God and sharing His good news with someone else who needs to hear it. Additionally, you’re robbing the other person of the opportunity to hear and respond to the good news of a God who loves them and has done everything necessary to restore their relationship with Him.
That doesn’t mean you have to be harsh with people. It also doesn’t mean that you should adopt a slick, canned approach to evangelism. It just means that you should be ready and willing to share the gospel when the Holy Spirit gives you an opportunity.
When it comes to sharing their faith, most people are held back by four common excuses: fear, busyness, indifference, and disobedience. These things tie people up in indecision and inactivity, and Satan couldn’t be happier about that.
This blog features an excerpt from one of our Student Series books, Reach Your World.
