Thursday, July 18, 2013

Day 199: Proverbs 22, 23 and 24


The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!” or, “I will be murdered in the streets!” (NIV 1984, Proverbs 22:13).

This proverb illustrates one character flaw common to many of us. We’re good at making excuses for playing it safe. I golfed with a friend in Washington who made an excuse for every bad shot… and he hit a lot of bad shots. I hit bad shots too. Know why? Because I’m not a very good golfer! My friend was making excuses for trying and failing. Notice the subject of this proverb is making excuses for not even trying! If I go out in the streets I may get mauled by a lion! Maybe I’d better just stay in bed with the covers pulled up over my head. Better safe than sorry.

That’s just sad! But I’ve done it, and I bet you have too. If I make the wrong choice, things won’t work out the way I want. If I try out for the team, I might not make it. If I make this needed change, I might offend someone. Better safe than sorry.

In Jesus’ words, this is tantamount to wrapping our talent in a cloth and burying it in the back yard (Matthew 25:14-30). Risk is part of life. When we take a risk, there’s always the possibility we might fail. That doesn’t excuse us from taking the chance. If it was a sure thing, why would we need faith? Without the option of failure, where would be the satisfaction in success?

When I was a teenager there was a popular inspirational poster picturing a sailing ship on the ocean. The caption read: A ship in a harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.

TODAY’S MEDITATION
What excuses are you making to explain why you’re not accomplishing what were you created to do?

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