When Responsibility Meets Destiny
There is something strangely comforting about an excuse. It softens failure, delays accountability, and gives us language that sounds intelligent without demanding change. Excuses rarely sound rebellious; they sound reasonable. They explain our absence, justify our delay, and protect our comfort. But beneath their calm surface, excuses quietly drain devotion, fracture unity, and shrink vision.
More than 30 years ago, I was motivated by a minister of the gospel from Bombay, India, whom I will call him Pastor Stanley. He shared a story that has stayed with me because it exposes the heart of excuse-making with humor and truth.
A driver lost control of his vehicle, hit an electric pole, caused a blackout in the neighborhood, and wrecked his car. When asked by the police what happened, the driver explained confidently:
"The electric pole was coming toward me, so I swerved to the right. The pole also went to the right. I tried going left—and the pole went left and hit my car."
It is funny—until it becomes familiar. The pole never moved. But excuses did.
Excuses and the Illusion of Responsibility
Jesus once told a parable in Luke 14 about a banquet prepared with care and generosity. Invitations were sent. The table was ready. Yet one by one, the invited guests declined—not with rebellion, but with explanations.
"They all alike began to make excuses…" None of the excuses were sinful. They were simply misplaced priorities, and therein lies the danger. Excuses rarely announce themselves as unbelief; they disguise themselves as responsibility.
"I Am Building My Career"
This excuse resonates deeply with the young and the ambitious. Careers demand focus, sacrifice, and discipline—and Scripture affirms excellence. But the danger appears when career-building becomes calling-replacing.
Many postpone obedience saying, "Let me first stabilize my life, then I will serve God." Yet destiny does not wait for convenience. God's call is not a distraction from preparation—it is part of the preparation.
We build resumés while neglecting character.
We secure promotions while delaying purpose.
We climb ladders leaning against the wrong wall.
Careers are good servants—but cruel masters. When career becomes the excuse, eternal impact is exchanged for temporary applause. "Seek first the Kingdom of God."
"I Am Focusing on the Family"
Few excuses sound more noble. Family is God's idea. Responsibility is biblical. Provision is honorable. But even family can become an altar where obedience is sacrificed.
Some say, "I don't have time for God's work because of my children." Yet children learn faith not from intentions, but from priorities. What we consistently honor, they quietly absorb. We may protect our children from struggle, but we also shelter them from purpose.
The issue is not choosing between God and family. The issue is whether we are leading our family into God's purpose.
"I Am Trying to Survive"
This is perhaps the most emotionally powerful excuse of all. Survival seasons are real. Pressure is real. Struggle is real. God is compassionate to weakness. But God never intended survival to become an identity.
When survival becomes the excuse, vision shrinks, faith lowers its voice, and obedience becomes negotiable. We stop asking, "What is God saying?" and start asking, "What will get me through today?"
Survival is a season—not a calling. Some of God's greatest obedience moments were born in the hardest seasons.
When Excuses Become a Lifestyle
In John 5, a man lay by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years with a carefully rehearsed explanation: "I have no man." His excuse sounded reasonable, even painful—but it kept him stuck.
Jesu did not heal his explanation. Jesus challenged his posture.
Excuses that last too long stop sounding like weakness and start sounding like identity.
The Hidden Cost of Excuses
When excuses are tolerated, they don't remain personal—they become systemic.
Failure of devotion begins quietly, as seen in the church at Ephesus. They did not lose doctrine; they lost love. Busy hands replaced burning hearts.
Failure of restoration and unity follows, like the elder brother who refused to celebrate reconciliation because his excuses felt justified.
Failure of vision soon emerges, as Israel at Kadesh Barnea redefined God's promise of entering Canaan to fit their fear. Giants grew larger than God, and destiny stalled in the wilderness.
Excuses weaken devotion.
Excuses fracture unity.
Excuses redefine vision downward.
Where Faith Finally Speaks
Then comes Isaiah's response in Isaiah 6—short, dangerous, and destiny-shaping:
NO EXPLANATION - God already knows your story.
NO CONDITIONS - Conditional obedience is delayed obedience wearing spiritual language.
NO EXCUSES - "Here am I. Send me."
Excuses protect comfort... Faith releases destiny.
A Call Across Generations
To the young: excuses will rob you of direction before you realize it.
To the old: excuses will rob you of finishing well.
The pole is not moving. God's call has not changed. The invitation still stands.
Destiny does not respond to explanations. It responds to obedience.
Final Reflection
Excuses always sound reasonable in the moment— but they age into regret.
Faith may feel costly now— but it matures into legacy.
The question is not whether your excuse is valid. The question is whether it is obedient.
No more excuses.
Only obedience.
Only faith.
Only forward.
- Bishop Joseph Mutua Muindi
General Overseer, Cornerstone Christian Church Int'l
Nairobi, Kenya
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