SHE HAS VISION, BUT HE’S BLIND
Have you ever seen the movie ‘Freedom Writers’ starring Hilary Swank? It’s a true story of a teacher named Erin Gruvell who inspired her class of at-risk students to believe in themselves and to achieve academic success. Erin was a confident woman who Loved to dream big. She was most definitely a Go-Getter. She was a self-motivator, however her husband wasn’t. Erin was an idealist while her husband was a realist. Erin had ‘vision’, but her husband couldn’t see it. He couldn’t understand her drive. There were times that he would even belittle her, because he was jealous of the attention she showed towards her students.
TO BELITTLE A PERSON REVEALS THAT YOU’RE A LITTLE PERSON
On one occasion Erin came home and her husband was lying in the bed. He didn’t waste any time belittling her, which immediately pushed her buttons. After his false apology and sarcasm, she calmly walks over to him and asks,
“What’s wrong with you?”
He said, “You know at the party, I heard you telling people that I was an architect and that my job was temporary. I want you to stop that, alright! I like my job!”
Erin responded, “You’re the one who said that you were going to be an architect.”
He interrupted by saying “That was four years ago before we got married. You want me to go back to school now for two years and intern for three? I’d be over 40.”
Erin said, “Alright. I thought you still wanted it.”
Her husband yelled, “It doesn’t matter if I want it Erin! It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen!” Then she turned and looked him in his eyes and responded, “Why not?”
There was silence. He couldn’t respond. There was nothing he could say. She pulled the carpet right from under his excuses. There is so much power in those two words. There is so much revelation in that question, “Why not?” Let me ask you an even more personable question, “Why not YOU?”
SUCCESS OR EXCUSES? YOU CAN’T HAVE BOTH
If you want to experience true prosperity in your life, then you have to stop making excuses. You can either be successful or make excuses for why you’re not succeeding. But you can’t have both.
“99% of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.”
~ George Washington Carver
I know it’s hard because we live in an excuse-driven society. “I’m too old…I’m too young…If only I had more money…If only I had a better education…I would if it wasn’t for these kids…It’s because of my gender…my race…my background…” We feel comfortable giving these excuses because we think that it fools the person that’s listening. But that’s the farthest thing from the truth.
“The lazy man is full of excuses. ‘I can’t go to work!’ he says. ‘If I go outside I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!’”
Proverbs 22:13 Living Bible
Excuses sound dumb to everyone except to the person that’s saying it. Doesn’t it sound crazy to not want to work because of a fear of lions in the street? This is what it sounds like when you give people your excuses. Excuses don’t hide, but they reveal who you really are. Excuses are another way of saying, “I don’t want to do what’s required of me.”
WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE FOR MAKING EXCUSES?
Jesus told a story once about a man who was having a big dinner party and invited many guests. When the banquet was prepared he sent out a servant to tell them,
“Come. Everything is ready.”
”One guest after another started making excuses.”
“The first one said, ‘I bought some land, and I’ve got to look it over. Please excuse me.’”
Luke 14:18 CEV
Would you buy some land without looking at it? Would you invest in some property without first examining it? This man says that he needs to go look it over AFTER he’s already bought it. He’s the only one who doesn’t think this sounds stupid.
“And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask that you have me excused.’”
Luke 14:19
Would you buy something without testing it out first? Would you buy a car without test driving it or a home without looking at it?
“Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’”
Luke 14:20 NLT
WOW. You can’t bring your wife to a banquet? Now that’s a lame excuse.
NO MORE EXCUSES!
Didn’t ALL of these excuses sound silly? This is what you sound like when you make excuses. You have to get to the point where you no longer make excuses. Excuses are crutches for those who are uncommitted. Excuses are for those who refuse to take responsibility. Excuses are for those who don’t want to succeed. Excuses are for failures. But YOU are better than that. Make a decision today to no longer make excuses.
BILLIE MILLER “The Motivational Minister” is a Bible teacher, speaker, and a #1 Amazon Bestselling Author. Thousands of lives have been changed through Billie’s powerful teachings. For more information please visit www.BillieMiller.com. Follow Billie on Instagram & Twitter (@BillieMiller7) and on Facebook (BillieMillerPage).
