Everybody Has One...

May the Lord give you His peace!

In my experience, there is always something holding us back. We know deep inside our hearts that we should be living differently – there is a certain feeling inside that haunts us at times, challenging us to change, to be converted, to be transformed. Unfortunately, our younger generation always has a way to justify our misery. In fact, we are so good at it that we have convinced ourselves that this is just the way life is.

Our thoughts go like this:

We are bored at school and we make it the schools’ problem.
Mom and dad are too strict so we get annoyed and have a bad attitude towards the whole family.
Work is too hard, so we are lazy and get paid what we do not deserve.
Sports might be a place where we give our all, but our attitude in the other parts of our lives can’t help but affect what goes on in the gym or on the field.

We live our lives looking forward to the next class, activity, game etc. and we find ourselves in a never ending cycle of failed expectations, lukewarm outcomes, lame excuses and bad attitudes. Sorry to be so brash, but unfortunately the reflection is pretty right on not many young people today.

What is holding us back? What is it that keeps us in a place where we keep finding ourselves desiring more? I would like to propose that we truly don’t believe that God wants to use us. For some reason we look at ourselves not worthy of a call from God to do great things. We see our brokenness and weakness and convince ourselves that we could never give to the world and be a part of God’s work in our midst. I have been there and I was pretty darn good and coming up with excuses why God would not want to use me.
I came across this reflection by a Christian author:

Jacob was a liar. Dave was an adulterer. Abraham was too old. Timothy had ulcers. Peter was a coward. Moses was a stuttering murderer. Mark was undependable. Hosea married a prostitute. Naomi was widowed, as was Ruth. Jonah was disobedient. Miriam was a gossip. Thomas doubted. Elijah suffered from depression. Paul was a murderer too. John the Baptist dressed funny. Martha way was a worrywart. Zacchaeus was very short. Mary was only a teenager. Lazarus was dead. What is your excuse?

How does that make you feel? Everyone has an excuse! What is yours?

Here is the great news. God loves you and wants to use you. He has created you with amazing gifts and talents and when you are ready, He will set the world ablaze with all you have to offer. What a great thought! Our lives do not have to be about what we are not good at. Our lives do not have to be about the let downs of high school, work, or our everyday challenges. God wants you to experience what life is like living in Him.

However, we have to stop with the excuses. We have to stop putting off the decisions and movements in our lives that will lead us to Christ. Make today that day when you put the excuses aside and finally come to move in a direction responding to the Lord wanting to do great things in your life.

Have you talked about praying more? Today, go to the chapel and spend some time after school in prayer with our Lord.

How about helping out more around the house and being more joyful around your family? Start when you come home from school, and surprise your family with your joy!

You can also:

Work harder at work
Be an example to your teammates when it comes to how you carry yourself on and off the field.
Strive not to use the bad language you have become accustomed to.
Lend a hand to the person in the hallway who looks lost or lonely.

The Lord wants to do great things with your life! Praise Him for that!

The excuses are holding us back. Are you ready to put them aside? I am too!

God Bless You,

Rusty