Excuses, Excuses

Dad, I was in an automobile accident this morning.

Are you okay? Was anyone else hurt? How serious was it?

I'm okay. No one else was hurt and it's not too serious.

What happened?

I was backing out of my friends' driveway and hit a pick-up truck. But Dad it wasn't my fault because the driveway had a huge 'S' curve in it. It was hard to maneuver and the truck was parked near the middle of the road --"

Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Son, did you say the truck was parked?

Well, yes, but it wasn't my fault. It was parked at such an odd angle.

I love you, son but if the truck wasn’t moving how can you say the accident wasn’t your fault? Do you blame it on the truck?

Does this sound familiar? Maybe you've had to listen while someone uttered lame excuses instead of confessing their mistakes. Worse, have you been the one making excuses? Admit it. We've all been there. Maybe that is why the following conversation between God and Adam is so important.

 
"They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze and hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden."

God said to Adam: Where are you?

I heard you in the garden and I was afraid and hid myself because I was naked.

Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?

It wasn't my fault! The fruit was handed to me!

What have you done?

It was the serpent who tricked me! (Adapted From Genesis, Chapter 3)

It was the serpent who tricked me. It wasn’t my fault. Someone should have warned me.

We make excuses. Yet, what God wants is for us to confess and repent. We claim to be victims instead of admitting that we are sinners. God warns us time and time again.

·         Amos: Come back to the Lord and live! (5:6)

·         Jeremiah: “And I will forgive their wickedness and will never again remember their sins.” (31:34)

·         John the Baptist: I baptize with water those who turn from their sins and turn to God. (Matthew 3:11)

God never asked for perfection; only a willingness to repent when (not if, when) we lose our way.  

Maybe you can hear the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden. Are you hiding among the trees? When God finds you, what will you say? "It wasn't my fault! It was the serpent!"

Or, another wayward son in the Bible handled his sins differently. He had the courage to say: "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son." (Luke 15:21) 

Instead of condemning the wayward son the Father said: "We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found." (15:23-24)

It sure beats trying to convince someone that an accident was caused by a parked truck.