Is your life spiralling out of control?

I came across these funny “excuses” in the internet.

Excuses from Parents to the school:

“Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.”

“Bob was late for school today because his little brother replaced the milk in his cereal to crazy Glue and Bob’s mouth stuck together and we needed to melt the glue.”

“Please excuse Jimmy for being late. It was his father’s fault. “

“Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.”

Excuses to Police:

“My wife ran off with a state policeman and when I saw your flashing lights I didn’t stop because I thought you might be the trooper who is trying to bring her back to me.”

Do you know Jesus told of a similar story:

Luke 14:15 – 21, 24

15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” 16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

The beauty of this story is, it is a timeless story. This story was true and relevant 2000 years back and very true and relevant now in this post-modern world.

Look at the story. The first one was busy with his wealth and property. He is saying “I just bought a property and I need to go and look after it. I am busy.”

The second one was busy with his business/work. He is saying, “I just bought an oxen. I am going to try them out.” In other words he is saying, “I am busy with my work and please excuse me”.

The third was busy with his family. He is saying, “There is so much happening with my family. I am busy with my family. I need to sort it out first. Please excuse me”.

I see here three major problems:

1) The deception of busyness!

The big question is “What keeps you busy?”

Your work ? Your family ? Your ministry? Your relationship? Your problems?

The truth is we all have an invitation to the King’s banquet every day! Its also true that we all have our hands full. We are all busy. We have our family. We have our work. We have our ministry. We have this and we have that. We don’t have time for God.

We don’t have time to eat at the King’s table.We don’t have time to wait for God in the morning as we are very busy.

Martin luther said this

“I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

When you wake up in the morning what comes into your mind? Someone defined BUSY as “Being Under Satan’s Yoke”. Next time when you say I am too busy for God, think twice!!!

Talking about Busyness, T.D Jakes once said

“We have replaced effectiveness with busyness! Statistics says we are busier than any other generations in the last 300 to 400 years. We are busy as can be…. because we are busy we think we are effective”

Are you really effective? or is your life cluttered with all sorts of things that demands you and drains your energy.

2) Lack of commitment 

They simply came out with an excuse!!

Oxford dictionary defines the word excuse as

“A reason put forward to conceal the real reason for an action.”

All these people didn’t really want to attend the wedding. So they used their work, family and wealth as an excuse. They were too comfortable in their own world. They didn’t want to disturb their comfort zone. They didn’t want to pay the “cost” of attending the wedding.

Sometimes we too behave like these people. We don’t want to take risk for God. We don’t want to make commitments. We don’t want to disturb our own cozy world. So we come out with an excuse!

3) They didn’t know how to prioritise life and keep things under control

They became workaholic and too pre-occupied with their family and wealth!

We like to “have” things but slowly they start to “have” us! They control us!

We like to have a job. But slowly the job will have us. We like to fall in love. But slowly that relationship will have us. We like to have a family but slowly that family will become a top priority above God. We like to do ministry but slowly ministry will have us.

What “has” you? in other words, what’s controlling you? What are you thinking about constantly? What’s driving you?

If you are controlled by your job, you will feel great if you had a great week in your work place. If you had a miserable day, you will feel miserable.

Likewise, if you are controlled by a relationship, you will be in an emotional roller coaster. One week you will feel like you are in heaven. Other week you will feel like all hell has broken lose. You will be swayed like a ship in the wind.

Apostle Paul went to Rome and his ship was caught in a storm. The bible says

“The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.”

Underline the words “We were driven along.” Sometimes we let the storms of life control us. We are just like that ship driven along by circumstances. 

One of the wisest person in the world said this:

“For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? 23 All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless.”

All our lives we tirelessly labour and toil. We want to achieve. We want to prove to family members we are good. We get in to a rat-race. In this rat-race we hurt others. We live with bitterness and anger and we have no time to love others. Then after several years we look back. Suddenly we realise we are old. Our loved ones might have passed away. We then live with regrets and pains of the past!!!

Is this why you and I are created for? Is this what we call as life? Is there more to life than this?

We become mere puppets in the hands of circumstances and problems.. We are no longer in control of our own life. 

So what’s the solution? How are we supposed to live?  God didn’t create us to live in this rat-race!! He created us to create an impact in this world!! But how can we make an impact?

If you read that chapter further, Jesus went on to say this.

25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

That’s the answer! You need to surrender EVERYTHING to God including your job, family and ministry. God should be at the center of your life. God doesn’t need your tips. God doesn’t need your partial commitment. There is no “try before you buy” offer in God’s kingdom. You cannot say “Hey God, I am busy Monday to Friday, I will see you on Sunday and we can catchup!”

Let God be God in your life. 

Let Go and Let God! God wants EVERYTHING!!