No Excuses

"The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside!' or 'I will be murdered in the streets!'" (Prov. 22:13, NIV).

I find this proverb interesting. The point appears to be that a lazy person always has an excuse. They can always give you an explanation for why they can't get something done, even if when the explanation takes longer to deliver (and dream up) than task would have taken to complete.

It should cause us to think about the ways in which we excuse ourselves. Maybe this sluggard was telling the truth, and  lion did roam the streets. But why doesn't he get his hunting gear and take care of that problem? Maybe his streets are filled with dangerous criminals. But why doesn't he team up with his neighbors and make it a safer place.

Maybe all the excuses we have are true. Maybe we missed our deadline, because we were sick. Or maybe we missed it because the weeks leading up to the deadline were filled with idle play and fruitless business.

I want to get to a place in my life where I no longer need to make excuses. I realize that every plan I make will not come to fruition. But it's better to be active than reactive. It is better to do something and fail, than do nothing. It's time to stop fearing the lions, which may or may not exist, and start fearing the missed opportunities. Life to short for excuses.

I Would Follow You

I would follow you wherever you may go, only don't make me go in there. This thought occurred to me the other day as I watch the The Lord of the Ring: Return of the King. In one scene Aragorn (the returning king) and his friends Legolas (an elf) and Gimli (a dwarf) have to enter into a haunted mountain pass and a city built by spirits of the dead. Just prior to entering into the city, Gimli has a look on his face that says, "I would follow you wherever you go, only don't make me go in there." Throughout the movie (and the book its based on, excellent movie/better book) Gimli proves his love and loyalty for Aragorn. Yet, for the briefest of moments he seems unwilling to take the next step. Finally, in a mixture of shame and trust, he pushes beyond his fear and follows after the king.

I saw myself in Gimli--caught at a crossroads, forced to chose. Will I continue to trust my King and follow him even if I am uncertain where his footsteps will lead me, or will I in fear stop following him? It is easy enough to say that we follow Jesus. After all, nearly 2 billion people claim Christianity in this world, yet at times it is hard to distinguish the "believer" from the non-believer. But following Jesus is more than praying a prayer, or being baptized, or mentally accenting to some collection of facts. When the Holy Spirit awakens us to believe the gospel, he works a mighty transformation in us. That transformation brings about a desire to walk in humble obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Richard Belcher reminds us, "the essence of worship is submission to God" (in A Journey in Providence). If we can stand at the beginning of a trial and say to the the Lord, "I would follow you wherever you would go, only don't make me go in there", what does that say about our faith? Is a faith not submitted to God able to save? The New Testament says "no." Thus we must conclude, we must humbly submit to the will of God and trust him as he leads us. We walk through difficult paths because we know our King goes before us, and he is forever with us and we are forever in him, by grace through faith. May we have the courage to say in the face of danger, "I would follow you wherever you may go." Then, may we step out in faith, knowing that our Lord will lead us to victory.