Excuses—How Does Jehovah View Them? – ????????

[Bible Speaks]

 Excuses—How Does Jehovah View Them?

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“THE woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree and so I ate,” said the man. “The serpent—it deceived me and so I ate,” responded the woman. Those words, spoken to God by our first human parents, Adam and Eve, marked the beginning of mankind’s long history of making excuses.—Gen. 3:12, 13.

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JehovahÂ’s judgment upon Adam and Eve for their willful disobedience made it apparent that their excuses were not acceptable to him. (Gen. 3:16-19) Are we to conclude, then, that all excuses are unacceptable to Jehovah? Or does he accept some excuses as valid? If so, how can we determine the difference? To answer, let us first consider the definition of an excuse.

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An excuse is a reason given in order to explain why something has been done, has not been done, or will not be done. An excuse may be a valid explanation for a failing and may constitute a genuine apology that provides grounds for leniency or forgiveness. However, as was true in the case of Adam and Eve, an excuse may also be a pretext, a false reason put forth to cloak the real one. Since excuses are often of that nature, they are commonly viewed with suspicion. 

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When making excuses—especially if they relate to our service to God—we must be careful to avoid ‘deceiving ourselves with false reasoning.’ Admittedly, when we are tired or discouraged, we may at times have to force ourselves to attend a meeting at the Kingdom Hall or to share in the ministry. If that is the case, should we then conclude that we do not truly love Jehovah? Not at all. 

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Faithful servants of God in the past also had to strive hard to do God’s will. For instance, Paul stated that he ‘pummeled his body,’ as it were, so that he would obey God’s commands. (1 Cor. 9:26, 27) 

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So even when we have to force ourselves to carry out the ministry, we can be sure that we will be blessed by Jehovah. Why? Because we compel ourselves to do God’s will for the proper reason—out of love for Jehovah. 

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By doing so, we provide an answer to Satan’s claim that God’s servants would deny Him if they were put to the test. Some stop sharing in the ministry or attending congregation meetings because of hurt feelings, reasoning that Jehovah will surely accept this excuse for their spiritual inactivity. While it is understandable that we are upset when someone hurts our feelings, is it really a valid excuse to stop sharing in Christian activities? 

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Paul and his fellow believer Barnabas may have had hurt feelings after a disagreement between them led to “a sharp burst of anger.” (Acts 15:39) But did either of them quit sharing in the ministry on account of it? By no means! Similarly, when you have been hurt by a fellow believer, keep in mind that your enemy is not your imperfect Christian brother but Satan, who wants to devour you. The Devil will not succeed, though, if you “take your stand against him, solid in the faith.” 

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Lesson for today. (James 1:22)

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2010763#h=1:0-21:515