We all spend energy every day.
The question is not if you’re spending it.
The question is what you’re spending it on.
Excuses take energy.
Complaining takes energy.
Blaming takes energy.
So does faith.
So does obedience.
So does taking responsibility.
It’s the same amount of effort.
Just aimed in a different direction.
Excuses Feel Easier—But They’re Costly
Excuses feel productive because they make us feel justified.
They explain why we didn’t act.
They protect our pride.
They give us permission to stay where we are.
But Scripture doesn’t confuse excuses with wisdom.
“The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road!’” (Proverbs 26:13)
That verse isn’t about danger.
It’s about exaggeration used to avoid responsibility.
Excuses are lazy energy.
They keep you busy without moving you forward.
And the enemy loves them.
Because as long as you’re explaining, you’re not obeying.
God Honors Responsibility, Not Rationalization
From the beginning, God has been looking for people who respond, not retreat.
When Adam sinned, he blamed Eve.
When Eve sinned, she blamed the serpent.
No one took responsibility.
And nothing was restored until responsibility was owned.
Jesus tells a parable about servants given talents.
Two invest what they’re given.
One hides it—and explains why.
“I knew you were a hard man…” (Matthew 25:24)
That servant wasn’t rebuked for fear.
He was rebuked for doing nothing with what he had.
Excuses don’t impress God.
Faithfulness does.
Solutions Require Courage, but They Build Strength
Creating solutions is productive energy.
It’s asking:
- What can I do with what I have?
- What step is mine to take?
- Where do I need to stop waiting and start acting?
Solutions don’t always feel good.
They often feel uncomfortable.
They require humility, discipline, and trust.
But they build something excuses never will—momentum.
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
God doesn’t ask you to solve everything.
He asks you to steward something.
A Better Way Forward
This week, don’t ask:
“Why is this so hard?”
Ask:
“What’s the next obedient step?”
Stop spending your energy defending inactivity.
Spend it building faithfulness.
Same effort.
Different outcome.
Don’t be lazy.
Be faithful.
Minimizing me...making much of Jesus 