KEY TEXT: Proverbs 26:13 (KJV) – “The slothful man saith, there is a lion in the way; a lion in the streets.”
The Bible calls people who are always giving excuses lazy.
Some common excuses that lazy people give are:
- I do not have enough capital to start a business.
- I do not have sufficient networks to embark on my career.
- I do not have enough experience to start.
- In Africa, there are no jobs.
- Older people have taken all the jobs.
- You have to know someone to get a job.
- I don’t have the confidence to speak in front of people.
- I am too busy. I don’t have time for church activities.
The people giving all these excuses may be right. When the lazy man says there is a lion in the streets, he might be right but remember David when he was out there as a shepherd; he killed a lion and a bear and thus was not intimidated by the giant Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:34-36 (KJV) – “34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”
Jeremiah 1:5-7 (KJV) – “5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.”
God ordained Jeremiah to be a prophet before he was born. Jeremiah told God that he could not speak because he was a child/he was young. God told Jeremiah, “say not that I am a child.” God was telling Jeremiah not to give excuses. He was telling Jeremiah to obey Him despite the insufficiency he thought he had of being young. When God gives you work to do, He expects you to do it without looking at your inabilities.
There is a reason why God has chosen you for that specific task and not someone else. There is a reason why God has given you that particular idea and not any other person. Do not say that you are too young or too old. Your age might be an hindrance to you but not a barrier to God.
Refrain from making excuses that big players dominate the industry in which you want to start your business. That is an impediment to you but not to God. Please do not say you cannot preach the gospel to a certain audience because they are stubborn. That is an obstacle to you but not an obstacle to God.
Exodus 4:10-11 (KJV) – “10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?”
God commanded Moses to go and speak to Pharaoh to free the Israelites from slavery. Moses told God that he could not talk because he was not eloquent. God asked him, “Who has made man’s mouth?” Disability and illness are a problem to you but not a problem to God. Don’t give excuses regarding your disability or inability when God sends you to do something; go ahead and do it. You may not know, maybe God wants to cure you while you are there ministering to those people.
When you say, “I do not have enough confidence to speak” God is asking you, “Who created confidence?” God may call you to sing for Him, but you give the excuse that you don’t possess the voice to sing. God asks you, “Who has created the singing voices and given musicians the ability to sing?” Normally, when God calls you, He calls you out of your comfort zone, not in your comfort zone. Christ came to save you from your sins, not in your sins.
Therefore, God will always give you extraordinary assignments to carry out. He will provide you with tasks you may feel that are impossible to conduct. He expects you not to look at the impossibilities but to look up to the God of possibilities. Some people have gotten their fortunes out of tasks they had no idea they would be able to do. Some have been able to start and run successful businesses in fields they had no experience. This is because they took the assignments and learned on the job. Many have missed out on numerous good things because of failing to carry out duties that they thought were too difficult.
“Our divine Lord is equal to any emergency. With Him nothing is impossible. He has shown His great love for us by living a life of self-denial and sacrifice, and by dying a death of agony. Come to Christ just as you are, weak, helpless, and ready to die. Cast yourself wholly on His mercy. There is no difficulty within or without that cannot be surmounted in His strength.” – Signs of the Times, January 3, 1906, Paragraph 2, Ellen G. White.
Luke 1:37 (KJV) – ”For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
“When Jesus went away, He left to every man his work, and “nothing to do” is an unwarrantable excuse. “Nothing to do” is the reason of trial among the brethren; for Satan will fill the minds of idlers with his own plans, and set them to work…. “Nothing to do” brings evil testimony against the brethren, and dissension into the church of Christ. Jesus says, “He that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.” — The Review and Herald, March 13, 1888, Ellen G. White.
“Brethren and sisters, many of you excuse yourselves from labor, on the plea of inability to work for others. But did God make you so incapable? Was not this inability produced by your own inactivity, and perpetuated by your own deliberate choice? Did not God give you at least one talent to improve, not for your own convenience and gratification, but for Him? Have you realized your obligation, as His hired servant, to bring a revenue to Him by the wise and skillful use of this intrusted capital? Have you not neglected opportunities to improve your powers to this end? It is too true that few have felt any real sense of their responsibility to God.” — Testimonies for the Church 5:457, Ellen G. White.
You have no excuse not to do what you have to do. Seek God first, then go out there and pursue your dreams, and the Lord God will clear all those obstacles for you.
God calls us to rest on Sabbath, He does not call us to be lazy on Sabbath. The Sabbath commandment is clear when it says, “six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work (Exodus 20:9). Thus, the person who is faithful in keeping the Sabbath is the person who is faithful in his work throughout the week and not the one who is faithful in making excuses. God calls us to rest from our labors, not to rest from our excuses.
Excuses may hide in a blanket of rest, but true Sabbath-keepers rise and give God their best. The Sabbath isn’t for dodging the fight, it’s where strength is renewed to walk in God’s light.
The Sabbath is not a day for idleness, but a holy appointment with the Creator, an invitation to cease your own works and trust His power. The lazy man sees a lion in the way, but the faithful servant sees the Lord of hosts making a way.
GOD BLESS YOU, SHALOM!
Prayer
Dear God, Forgive me for the times I’ve allowed fear, doubt, or excuses to stop me from obeying You. Strengthen my heart to trust You beyond my limitations. Teach me to be diligent in my calling and bold in the tasks You’ve given me. Just as You were with David, Jeremiah, and Moses, be with me too. I choose faith over fear, action over excuses. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Activity
- Write down three excuses you’ve been giving: whether it’s about work, ministry, or personal goals.
Then, for each excuse, write a faith-filled action you can take this week to move forward.
Example:
- Excuse: “I don’t have enough experience.”
- Faith Action: Volunteer or start a small project to gain experience.
- Stick this list somewhere you’ll see it daily—as a reminder that with God, no excuse is bigger than your purpose.
- Share this message with someone.
Author: Mark Alex
Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com
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