Couch Potato

Here I am...sitting on the couch. watching 10 years younger and thinking about life. I graduated from college a couple of weeks ago and I really don’t know what my next step is in life, but I’m trying to take some time and figure that out. It’s not easy to not do anything...I’ve been working and going to school for the last couple years and now I’m not working. I graduated with an English degree and I love to write, but where do I belong? I’m just trying to take one day at a time and learn something new each day. Today my mind is stuck on the idea of excuses. I’m reading a book by the reverend Tim Keller called “The Reason for God” and the one thing that I am constantly confronted with while reading it is that people always have excuses.

I’ve had excuses for many things in my life...I don’t want to hang out with someone, but I don’t have anything to do, so I make up an excuse...I forgot to call someone when I told them that I would, so I make up an excuse. The list goes on and on. I guess if I think about it, the bottom line of excuses is that people are lying when they make up excuses. Excuses are nice ways of lying or denying the truth. So, my point is to address the excuses people have when confronted with the idea of religion.

My pastor gave a message on Sunday about the difference between Isaac and Ishmael, looking in Galatians. I was really stretched because it caused me to think and a few close people in my life came to mind when listening to the message. Basically, Isaac is the son that is promised the Kingdom, while Ishmael is not. Looking deeper, Isaac represents someone who truly understands the love he should have for Jesus and Ishmael represents someone who is morally sound out of obligation and not love. So many people have the excuse that they can’t measure up and they have a lot to do before Jesus would accept them, but it’s not true. That is one of those excuses that is covering up something else because the truth is not in the statement. It is not about being perfect morally because if it was Ishmael would be the one receiving the promise. Instead, Isaac is rewarded for his love. One must only recognize a need for a Savior and understand what Love truly is. The Bible says that God is love and to live in love is to live in God. There is no need to clean up before you come to church...just be open to Love.