Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11 (MSG)
The Bible is littered with excuse-makers. Take for example Moses.
Excuse 1: “I’m not good enough.”
“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11 (NKJV)
Excuse 2: “I don’t’ have all the answers.”
Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name? what shall I say to them?” Exodus 3:13 (NKJV)
Excuse 3: “People won’t believe me.”
Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’” Exodus 4:1 (NKJV)
Excuse 4: “I’m a terrible public speaker.”
Then Moses said to the LORD, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Exodus 4:10 (NKJV)
Excuse 5: “I’m not qualified.”
But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else you may send.” Exodus 4:13 (NKJV)
Do you recognize any of these excuses in yourself? Excuses in our lives give us permission to settle for less than God’s best. It seems we always have an excuse or makeshift justifications for why we cannot do something. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength! He can give you supernatural qualifications. He can cause you to be at the right place at the right time. When God gives you something to do, He always gives you the enabling grace to do it. Regardless of how dauntingly impossible the task may seem.
What have you been putting off in sheer avoidance or because of the enemy’s voice whispering thoughts of failure, incompetence and lack of qualification? The Moses of Exodus chapters 3 and 4 is the same man that shows remarkable courage, obedience and strength of character a few chapters later. God works with each of us where we are and takes us to where He wants us to be. We just need to be willing to leave behind the excuses. Billy Sunday said:
An excuse is a skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.