Friday, November 18, 2011

NO MORE EXCUSES!

With the holiday season upon us, I thought this might be an appropriate subject :)  There really aren't any excuses for us to not maintain our physical and spiritual health during this wonderful, crazy time of year. Praying this inspires you to do just that :)

“I was going to do that, but . . . “ 

“I wish I would’ve been there, but . . .”

Excuses.

We all have them.  They’re so easy to come up with.  And if we don’t have our own, we’ll borrow someone else’s, chiming in when they’re creating theirs with a “me too!” 

I have to wonder, if we stepped out of our comfort zones when God called us to, just what our lives would be.  The reality of it is we’ll never know unless we do it! 

I personally think God wants us, actually needs us, to be risk takers.  To go for it.  He’s instructed us to completely rely on Him and fear nothing, rather pray to Him about everything.  So, what are we so afraid of?

Of course, we can’t forget that the devil is at work, doing everything in his power to defeat us.  Oh and he just loves our excuses, even helping us out by giving us a few - we’re not good enough, we’re not equipped, why would God want to use us, on and on. 

But thankfully, God is constantly at work as well!  He’s there to catch us when we fall, He’s there to cheer us on when we succeed, He’s there . . . ALWAYS!

I sometimes think we’re our worst enemy, thinking and speaking negatively about not only ourselves, but others.  When we’re filled with negativity, there is no way anything positive can come from that.  We have to stop and think about what we’re thinking about!

So how do we not fall into that trap of fear?  How do we continually walk in God’s confidence?  I believe first and foremost we must be living in God’s word!  This is the key to getting to know God and building that close relationship with Him.  Do your thoughts line up with the promises He’s given us?  If not, then those thoughts are not from God!

I also think that one “go for it” moment leads to another.  It feels awkward to step out of our personal “box” at first, but the more we do it, the comfortable we become.  It builds our trust in God, gradually replacing that fear that the enemy wants us to live in.  It builds our endurance, grows our confidence, and step by step, we become closer to who God created us to be!

So, NO MORE EXCUSES!  Is God calling you to talk to someone you don’t know very well?  Is He calling you to lead a group?  Is He calling you to take on a challenging project?  Is He calling you to live a healthier lifestyle?  We all have a beautiful purpose.  Don’t let your fears stand in the way of that purpose.  Go For It!  God has your back!