The Birthplace of Excuses

Want to know a little secret that I’m not too happy to admit, pride often gets the best of me. At this point in the admitting process though, I’d like to sort of brush it off and say, “but that’s everyone”. All of us here are smart enough to know that when we make the, “everyone else is doing it too” excuse, what we’re actually saying is that we’re just not really interested in change. If I can justify my poor behavior by everyone else’s, I’m good, no need to work on anything. So if all my coworkers are telling dirty jokes or gossiping, and I decide to jump in too, I’m guilty. If my church friends talk negatively about about their spouse and I take the opportunity to throw mine under that same bus, I’m guilty too. If nobody else in the restaurant appears to be a Christian and I choose not to openly give thanks to God for all He has provided, you already guessed it, I’m guilty too.

Here’s the Key Factor

Making the choice to be humble doesn’t just mean being willing to say I’m sorry AFTER we do something dumb, it’s also being willing NOT to give ourselves the permission to do it in the first place. We all know about the “Pride of Life” that lead Adam and Eve down the apple eating path, and ultimately, got them removed from the garden. Is that what I’m interested in, separation from God? Of course not! Why then do I so quickly offer my excuse rather than my apology? Because pride lead me to the poor decision in the first place.