Priorities and Excuses

So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Acts 10:29

In my addiction, I made a priority of using, committing a tremendous amount of time and effort into the getting, consuming, and hiding of my pills. I let very little get in the way of my appetite. Everything else took a backseat, while my drug use drove my life. As I gradually abandoned all other interests, I had to make excuses about why I couldn’t do those things. Time with friends, church, and exercise became unimportant, so I came up with justifications for my disinterest. I’m busy. I’ve been working a lot. I need some downtime.

I never had to make excuses to get out of using though, because that was a priority. No matter what was going on, I made sure I took enough time for my addiction. I was committed and I wasn’t about to let anything get in the way of that commitment. Drugs were a priority and my behavior reflected that.

In today’s passage, Peter displayed a similar singular commitment, not to an addiction, but to the will of God. In the story, God commanded Peter to go to Cornelius, without hesitation (Acts 10:20). Peter was sent and so, he went, without objection.

When I meet someone who needs God’s grace and mercy, and I feel God telling me to invest of my time and energy, I rarely just go without hesitation. No, I object. I make excuses. I drag my feet. I’m busy God. I’ve been working a lot. Send someone else.

Many of us find ourselves here. We know how we should live. We know what we should be doing. Instead though, we live for ourselves, following our own path. We’ve made so many excuses and we’ve turned a deaf ear to God for so long, that we’re not even bothered by his voice anymore. We’re singularly committed to following our own way, and in this condition, God’s will takes a back seat.

If we call ourselves Christians though, we’ve declared that we follow God above all. The problem is that our behavior often doesn’t reflect that claim. When we find ourselves miserable, distant from God, and stuck in our addictions, then we must look honestly at our priorities. If we truly desire to know faith, life, freedom, and recovery, then we must stop justifying disobedience and follow the father, like Peter, without excuse.