Excuses

They won’t listen to me. They will never believe me. They will think I’m crazy. They will be offended by my words. They are not open. I’m not special. I’m not smart enough to challenge them.

 

On and on our excuses flow for not obeying the call of God to speak the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. We come up with reason after reason that we should not be the ones to tell the truth to people in desperate need. This is not because we do not want to see them forgiven by God. It is not because we do not think it matters. But the bottom line is, we are afraid.

 

The interesting thing is, this is not  a new problem. Moses had it too.

 

Exodus 4:1- Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’ ”

 

When God commanded Moses to go and tell Pharaoh to let his people go, Moses had the kinds of fears that many of us face. Moses felt that he could not carry the message of God in a way that would make Pharaoh believe him. A look at the context shows us the kinds of excuses Moses makes. He worries about his ability to speak, his ability to persuade, his knowledge of theological truth such as the name of God. It all culminates in Moses pleading with God to send somebody else.

 

But the Lord has none of it. God sends Moses. God empowers Moses. God tells Moses that speaking to Pharaoh is his job, no matter how well or poorly Moses speaks. God is the one who will do the work. God will provide the power. Moses simply must obey.

 

What are your excuses for not talking to friends, family, or neighbors? Do those excuses sound like Moses here at the burning bush? Perhaps it would be good for you to remember that God is with you, his Spirit living inside all Christians, and he can empower you to do what you are not at all able to do on your own.