Philippians 3:13 (NLT), “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

Excuses, excuses, excuses! How many times have you told someone, “I’m tired of hearing excuses!” I know I’ve said it to my kids a few times as well as to some of the troops that used to work for me when I was active duty. The main reason the phrase would come out of my mouth is because I wanted the person to take ownership of their situation. Whatever that situation was I didn’t necessarily want to hear why or how it happened, I wanted to hear how you were going to fix it. Now sometimes knowing the how and why is important, but it’s never as important as finding out how you are going to make your situation better.

We live in a time where accepting responsibility for our actions and our lives has fallen by the wayside. Instead of taking ownership for our current state and working to make it better, we find it easier to point the finger of blame at someone else. At that point instead of concentrating on fixing the situation, your focus is now on whatever person or group you’ve focused your blame on. You have to be careful because it’s so easy to get caught up in the pity party. I’m this way because I was born into this situation, so it’s not my fault. This other person did me wrong and made me like this, so it’s not my fault. On and on, you can continue to find excuses as to why you are where you are. But can I tell you that focusing on those excuses, while they may be valid, is not going to get you any closer to your blessed life. They are just reasons to give up and stay where you are!

Each of you has been blessed with the ability to live a blessed and abundant life. But you can’t get there if you’re focused more on making excuses than making things better. Making excuses and pointing the blame at someone else will not move you forward. First off realize this, God has already forgiven you for whatever part you played in getting in the tough situation you’re currently in. So there’s no need to point the finger of blame at someone else. Second, you have to take ownership of your life because it’s your life. No one is going to be more concerned about your life than you.

I don’t want to see any of you miss out on the blessing because you’re focused on the wrong things. I have been there. I had times in my life where I was so focused on what other people did to me that I couldn’t see what I was doing to myself. Focusing my attention on everyone else kept me from doing the hard task of looking at myself and my actions. As long as I kept doing that I could not come close to the blessed life God had for me. It wasn’t until I looked in the mirror and acknowledged my faults and what I needed to fix that my life turned around. At that point I became a better person, I became more loving and I could see the life that God wanted me to live.

I know it’s tough to admit your faults and the part you played in the tough situation you may be in. But as I said earlier, God has already forgiven you so it’s time to look in the mirror and forgive yourself. No more excuses, no more pointing the finger of blame at everyone else. Accept responsibility and decide today that you will change what needs to be changed. You will do what it takes to become the person God intended you to be. The blessed life is waiting for you, no more excuses, go and get it!

Truth In Love! ~ Chuck