No More Excuses - Just Obey

Obedience can be tough! I know in my head what God calls me to is what is truly best, but it still doesn’t always make it easy.

A couple of years ago, God called me into youth ministry. You want to talk about feeling unqualified. Yikes! I knew there was no way humanly possible I could handle it. The great part was I discovered He never intended for me to handle it on my own. It was amazing to watch his plan unfold and because of my obedience I got to be a part of all of it. Super cool honestly, but still not always easy.

God has also called me to write. I wish that meant it was always easy for me. It’s NOT! Sometimes I feel like a fish floundering out of water.

Then to top it off, I really felt led to sign up for the She Speaks Conference this coming summer. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited. I’m also scared to death and feeling pretty overwhelmed. I’ve signed up but spent many days coming up with excuses on how next year would be a better option.

As Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray after the Last Supper, he knew what was about to happen to him. Mark 14:33-34 says Jesus “began to be deeply distressed and troubled.” He shared with his disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”.

It doesn’t say he was a little put out by the inconvenience of what God was asking him to do. No, he was deeply distressed and overwhelmed with sorrow. There is no way to humanly grasp the sacrifice Jesus was about to make for mankind. Many of whom were still sinners. Still more that would choose to turn their back on what Jesus did for them.

Yet he did it! In that garden he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “Everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Matthew 14:35-36 

Jesus knew God was capable of taking the cup of suffering from him. There was never any doubt of that, but Jesus was quick to put his own will in submission to God’s.

In Matthew 14:38 Jesus reminds the disciples, and therefore us, we need to watch and pray so that we won’t fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.

My spirit wants to be obedient to the Lord, but my body is continually weak. So what does that mean for us? It means no more excuses!

We must deny our bodies. The only way to do that is to stay in God’s word and continually let the Spirit lead us. We have to make an effort to get quiet and tune into what God is saying to us. God wants to meet us there..

Lord, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. Help me to deny my own will and seek out your will for my life. No more excuses for me Father. Less of me and more of you. In Jesus Name, amen.