Daily Thought for Wednesday, May 4th

May 4, 2011

Making Excuses

“The boy who is good at excuses is generally good for nothing else.”

-  Samuel Foote

Today’s Thought:

“Two wrongs don’t make a right, but they make a good excuse.” – Thomas Szasz (from ‘The Second Sin’)

Today’s Question

Did you know that, very often, “He who excuses himself accuses himself?” – Gabriel Meurier

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“Don’t make excuses – make good!”

- Elbert Hubbard

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

- The Bible (James 4:17)

Who among us had not at some point in life made an excuse for some reason or another?

Whether as a kid, telling some story to our teacher as to why our homework wasn’t done: or to a parent as to why our room wasn’t cleaned or some other chore was not completed.

Or as am adult to an employer as to why we were late or why we did not complete some task by the required deadline, or to a family member as to why we can’t or didn’t do something we had said we would.  (Keep in mind there is a difference between valid reasons and excuses).

And who among us, as Christians has not made some excuse to God as to why we haven’t done something we have promised Him we would?

“One of man’s greatest failings is that he looks almost always for an excuse, in the misfortune that befalls him through his own fault, before looking for a remedy – which means he often finds the remedy too late.” – Cardinal De Retz

We often commit to God some great promise, especially in times of distress and despair only to begin making excuses as to why we can’t fulfill our obligation once the calamity or circumstance goes away.

William Shakespeare wrote, “Oftentimes the excusing of a fault: Doth make the fault the worse by the excuse.”

And Alexander Pope said, “An excuse is wore and more terrible than a lie; for an excuse is a lie guarded.”

God views any failure to do anything we know is right and acceptable in His sight as sin.

Sadly we are all way to often guilty of sinning.

Aren’t you glad He is not slack concerning His promises?

He has promised; “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – The Bible (1 John 1:9)

God doesn’t make excuses and He won’t be accepting any when we stand before Him, so wouldn’t’ it be a good idea to start practicing at not make any excuses to begin with?

Today’s Verses:

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

Ecclesiastes 5:4-6

Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.  For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations. He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

                        Psalms 61:1-8

Today’s Prayer:

Father, when I fail (sin) which often I do, give me boldness and courage to admit it, repent of it and move ahead striving to improve and not make the same mistake again.