“The man said, ‘The women you put here with me- she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’” (Genesis 3: 12-13)

No Excuses

When watching Shaquem Griffin play football, the first things that stand out are his speed and playmaking ability. He was named the 2016 AAC Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-AAC First Team selection in 2017, helping lead Central Florida to a perfect 13-0 record. There’s also something else that stands out about Griffin; he doesn’t have a left hand. Born with amniotic band syndrome, his left hand was amputated at age four.

That never stopped Griffin from playing and excelling at the sport he loves. Whether it was football or any other part of life, he never viewed his disability as an excuse not to do something. We should be the same way as Christians. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, Adam blamed Eve, who in turn blamed the serpent. Instead of accepting responsibility for their mistake, they created excuses.

During our walk with Christ, we are going to be called to do things that are hard and things we don’t want to do. It might be showing grace and love to someone who wronged us. Maybe it’s having a conversation about our faith that we aren’t exactly comfortable with. Part of being a Christian is allowing our relationship with God to take us out of our comfort zone. When we feel God calling us, let’s strive to answer with a wholehearted “yes, Lord.” No excuses!

– Joshua Doering

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