Even Jesus-followers learn to rationalize patterns of doubt, fear, and faithlessness. Here are a few reasons some of us use to justify our faith failure:
No one else is.
Peter was the only one getting out of that boat (Matthew 14). Joshua and Caleb were the only one’s interested in going into the Promise Land (Numbers 13). If you have to hang with the crowd you will not trust Jesus.
It’s too difficult.
We prefer comforts and conveniences over the calling of Jesus. The Rich Young Ruler felt that way. We all get that. But our trivial pleasures are too often the greatest barriers to knowing the pleasures of Christ. The man who found the treasure in the field, went and sold everything to buy the field. That was no sacrifice.
I can’t.
Doubting personal abilities is nothing knew. Moses adamantly defended his inability (Exodus 3). As helpful as studies in personality styles, leadership IQ, and skill sets are, those factors never limit what Christ in us produces. “I can’t” does not demonstrate humility. Instead, it is an indictment on the character of God and the power of Jesus.
I’m afraid.
Fear is the default for many of us. We say “no” because we are afraid. We respond with anger because we are afraid. We get negative because we are afraid. We worry because we are afraid. The list of phobias continues to grow. We are paralyzed by fear because we are more influenced by our circumstances than we are by our Savior. Following Jesus is risky. It may cost us our lives. And although we see danger, by faith we can focus on Jesus. He captivates our hearts like nothing else and directs our steps.
People are against me.
Jesus followers have always experienced opposition. The night Jesus was arrested, the disciples distanced themselves from Him because of it. But Solomon said, “The fear of man brings a snare…”(Proverbs 29:25). It will always be difficult for people pleasers to live as God-pleasers. So in Acts 2, the same men who scattered at Jesus’ arrest were boldly preaching Jesus to the very ones who crucified their Lord. The resurrection of Jesus and the indwelling Spirit of God turns cowards into more than conquerers.
I’ve never done this before.
Familiarity, like comfort, holds us back from doing what Jesus calls us to do, going where He calls us to go, and becoming who He calls to become. We idolize what we know and who we know. Rather than embrace the adventure of knowing Christ more fully through new experiences, we settle for well-traveled paths where our faith atrophies, where our walk with Jesus is reduced to over-told and now exaggerated stories of yesteryear. But we discover in the book of Acts that Jesus-following is about movement. It’s going to new places, because God is moving toward a new destination.
I tried and failed.
It seems that God takes losers, makes them into winners, then let’s them lose again so they will trust Him for the biggest win. We see this in Jesus’ relationship with Peter. Jesus believed in this proud man, changed his name, gave him big wins, then allowed him to have bigger losses, so he could ultimately be on the front line of a global Gospel movement. Trusting Jesus comes with losses, setbacks, and major failures so that God can sanctify us and prepare us for a greater work.
So now that you’re out of excuses, why not trust Jesus? Don’t just believe in Jesus. Believe Him.
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