GOING THE DISTANCE

The other day I was sitting at my second office at Mermaids (a beach side cafe) watching my son surf and I was thinking to myself why is it that some people can go the distance in their Christian walk, they finish their race strong, they receive their crown.
Where for some others they give up half way through, they walk the final miles, they change races, or worse still they forfeit the race by not even turning up.

Is it their prayer life?
Is it their knowledge of the bible?
Is it the church that they attend?
Is it just easier for some?
Is it their upbringing?
Is it their DNA?

Luke 2: 36 - 38
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.

What a champion Anna was, now that's going the distance.

The more and more that I live in this life the more and more I realize that its a little to do with those things but more to do with a word called RESILIENCE.

Resilience means: The power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity

There are many common threads in resilient people, one would definitely be that they don't make excuses.

EXCUSES ARE THE MORPHINE OF OUR DAY.

Luke 14: 16-20
16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’

I can not come to the banquet don’t bother me now I have married a wife I have bought me a cow! How many young people do I see that are on fire for God and suddenly when they realise that the opposite sex is different they drop their commitments and start making excuses.
The church isnt growing because……
I can’t leave her alone because……
I can’t be involved because….
I can’t stay married because….
I can’t handle that person because……
Well I can’t change the way I am because….
“The reason people blame things on the previous generations is that there is only one other choice”
Some things excuses say about you:

1. THEY ARE ME FOCUSED.

All of the excuses given started of by each person saying I. I have to do this, and be here, me myself.

2. THEY JUSTIFY WHERE YOU ARE AT.


3. EXCUSES REFLECT A DEFEATED SOUL.

Excuses end up covering our own feelings of inadequacy and insecurity.