2 December 2020

Bedtime in a household with little children can be fun and games. Sometimes they go with no quarrelling or push-back but more often than not, this is not the case.

The usual “I’m not tired!”

 “I can’t sleep!”

“I’m thirsty.”

“I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Can’t I stay up 5 more minutes?”

Or just plain whingeing and crying and “carrying on” occurs.

The latest one of my grandchildren who makes up complaint after complaint is 3 year old Willow. My daughter relayed this story to me.

After being in bed for a few minutes out she comes.

The first reason started with …….wait for it…… “Don’t get angry and sulky now Mummy but I need to talk to you. Don’t get cranky and cry but—- will you be my best friend?”

(Oh was I hiding the smile that spread across my face. The chuckle that was in my throat).

The next request came from the bedroom. “Make sure you wake me when Santa comes.”

A few minutes later she is up and out of bed. “I need my slippers to go to bed.” And so after putting her fluffy slippers on she headed back to bed.

Then (and we have it on video) singing from her bed at the top of her lungs – “If you’re happy and you know it shout Hoorah! Hoorah! If you’re happy and you know it…..”

Oh the avoidance, the excuses to NOT go to bed!

To be honest I do sometimes make excuse after excuse for other areas in my life that I want to avoid.

Do I make excuses to NOT go to visit my family because there are always issues that arise that we don’t see eye to eye on?

Do I make excuses for the lack of discipline in my life? Discipline to exercise, to clean my room, my house? Excuses to why I don’t watch what I eat? Excuses for NOT staying healthy?

Excuses to avoid talking to that person that I need to forgive?

Excuses to why I don’t go to church anymore? To NOT pray? To NOT even acknowledge God in my Life?

Excuses for why I am so mean to others? Why I gossip and speak badly about others?

“I’ve had such a bad childhood it’s NOT my fault I’m mean.”

“You have NOT had the life I have had- it’s easy for you.”

 I’m sure we can write our own list of excuses of WHY I DID NOT LIVE A CERTAIN WAY.

And many are VALID reasons and I want to acknowledge that some people have had terrible situations, family circumstances etc that have affected them. BUT GOD does not want us to stay there.

We are in a season in the Church right now of ADVENT. A preparation time for the coming of Christ. And not just at Christmas as the baby Jesus.  As Christians we know Jesus is coming back a second time to bring His kingdom once and for all on this Earth. We don’t know the day nor the hour, but it is coming.

So, in that focus of He is coming, would we act like we do? If we knew He was actually coming this Christmas to Earth again would we speak the way we do to others? Would we put up all our excuses (and to be honest we do, and we are good at it) to AVOID stuff? AVOID living a certain Christian holy way?

AVOID changing some things in my life? In my attitude?

For in His coming back we will all face final judgement. Did we live good Godly lives or not?

Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel was talking to the Pharisees, the Elders of the Jewish Church. But He is also talking to all Christians, to all of mankind about their speech.

³⁶ But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak.

Matthew 12:36

Paul in Corinthians expands on this

For we must all appear and be revealed as WE ARE before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (Considering what his purpose and motive have been , and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing.)

2 Corinthians 5:10

Oh, what a mouthful! But basically, it says we will get our reward depending upon WHO WE TRULY ARE- for ALL will be revealed. OUR ATTITUDES, OUR MOTIVATIONS, OUR GOOD WORKS but also OUR BAD THINGS.

The seriousness of all of this was shared by Jesus Himself in Luke’s Gospel. He was describing the time for the second coming and wanting us to be ready.

He shared it via a parable. A story.

A Man was once giving a great supper and invited many.

And at the hour for the supper he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited. Come, for all is now ready.

(Verse 18)

BUT THEY ALL ALIKE BEGAN TO MAKE EXCUSES and to beg off. The first said to Him, I have bought a piece of land, and I have to go out and see it: I beg you, have me excused.

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen and I am going to examine and put my approval on them, I beg you, have me excused.

And another said, I have married a wife and because of this I am unable to come.

So, the servant came and reported these answers to his master. Then the master of the house said in wrath to his servant. Go quickly into the great streets and the small streets of the city and bring in here the poor and the disabled and the blind and the lame.”

Luke 14:16-22

Jesus was not number ONE in the people who were invited to the supper that Jesus had prepared for them. They were not ready, too busy with their lives. There were more important things for them to drop what they were doing and go to that supper.

DON’T let that happen to us!

Jesus also shows us HE INVITES ALL- those  who are weak, poor, blind, lame, less than…. Oh, to be invited!

So, will you have an EXCUSE if The Lord came Today? If Jesus invited you today to His supper?

Be prepared whenever that may occur.

Be like Willow at the end of the escapade of staying up.

NO MORE EXCUSES.

Now in her bed, being obedient but rejoicing that she was ‘Happy and she knew it’, shouting Hooray. For Willow knew she was loved, that Mum was her best friend, she was waiting for Santa, for Jesus coming at Christmas. But no more excuses she was now going to sleep!

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

How often do you make excuses?

Will you have an EXCUSE if The Lord came Today? If Jesus invited you today to His supper?