"One Excuse Is As Good As The Next"

The story is told of a man whose neighbor had a habit of borrowing tools and not returning them. One day the neighbor stopped by the man’s house and asked whether he could borrow his axe. “No, you can’t,” replied the man. “Why not?” the neighbor asked. “I’m just about to eat some soup.” Puzzled, the neighbor said, “I don’t see what one thing has to do with the other. You’re not going to eat soup with an axe.” “That’s true,” said the man. “But when a fellow’s decided he’s not going to do something, one excuse is as good as the next.”

Once people decide on a course of action, they’ll justify it with any excuse — even one that makes as little logical sense as that in the above story. It’s sad that people feel the need to excuse themselves from the things of Christ, but Jesus listened to many excuses throughout His earthly ministry such as: “Lord, let me first go and bury my father” (Luke 9:59); “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house” (Luke 9:61); “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it” (Luke 14:18); “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them” (Luke 14:19); “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come” (Luke 14:20).

All had determined what they were willing or unwilling to do, but all found excuses to justify their choices. After fifty-five years as a Christian, folks still manage to surprise me — even stun and shock me, with their ability to concoct rationalization after rationalization for not doing what God commands. Unfortunately, there are none of us immune to the excuse cycle. All of us engage in rationalistic behavior from time to time — probably more than we recognize, or are willing to admit to ourselves.

However, we can break the cycle by reversing it. Excuses begin the moment we decide what we’re going to do or not do. The key is in the decision-making process. We can decide that we are going to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), that we are going to observe all that He commands (Matthew 28:20), and that whatever we do in word or deed, will be by His authority (Colossians 3:17). If we make that decision wholeheartedly, and stand by it daily, we can begin to put excuses in the past.

The challenge comes in those moments when God’s will as revealed in the Scriptures differs from our own — in those times when He demands a sacrifice we don’t want to make, or an obedience we don’t want to render. What do we do then? Do we tell the Lord we’re too busy eating soup, or do we hand over our axe?

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets