Excuses can serve as practical tools for avoiding responsibility or discomfort, but, as the Bible warns, they can also divert us from truth and integrity, and inhibit our spiritual growth. This comprehensive examination offers a deeper dive into what the Bible teaches about making excuses.
What Does The Bible Say About Excuses
The Bible provides considerable coverage of the subject, sending a clear message that making excuses does not align with a life of truth, responsibility, and faith. Various narratives, teachings, and parables highlight the importance of following God’s instructions diligently and conscientiously. Despite the trials, tribulations, uncertainties, and fears that people may face, the Bible discourages resorting to excuses and instead encourages acceptance of responsibility and the successful execution of God’s will. People are called to obedience rather than self-justification, evidencing that excuses are viewed negatively in the Bible’s teachings.
Why The Bible Discourages Making Excuses
The Bible discourages making excuses as it teaches that these often serve as hindrances to the exact fulfilment of God’s will. When individuals use excuses to avoid tasks or responsibilities, they miss opportunities for personal, spiritual growth and the chance to participate in God’s plan. Furthermore, the Bible denotes that excuses potentially deflect blame, evade responsibility, and ultimately manifest a lack of faith, courage, and commitment. Hence, the avoidance of excuses aligns with the assertion of personal accountability, fosters character development, and promotes genuine faith in God.
Who In The Bible Made Excuses
The Bible contains several instances of individuals making excuses. Some of the most prominent characters used excuses to avoid difficult tasks, fears of failure or rejection, and even direct instructions from God. From Moses doubting his ability to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to Jonah running from God’s command to prophesy to Nineveh, these biblical figures resorted to making excuses. However, the Bible lays bare the pitfalls of such behavior, illustrating that excuses often lead to negative consequences and missed opportunities to serve and trust in God.
Where Excuses Lead According to The Bible
According to the Bible, excuses lead to a path away from fulfilling God’s purpose. It insists that when individuals persist in making excuses, they create barriers that stifle spiritual growth, faith development, and the manifestation of God’s plans in their lives. It also articulates that excuses can breed a complacency that prevents people from reaching their full potential. Moreover, the Bible underscores that untruths and dishonesty can spring from the making of excuses, leading individuals away from a path of truth and integrity.
When The Bible Teaches Acceptance of Responsibility
The Bible’s teachings emphasize the acceptance of responsibility over making excuses at numerous points in its text. It commends individuals who uphold their obligations, demonstrating courage and faith in the face of challenges. The Bible also places significant emphasis on honesty, integrity, and responsibility, therefore encouraging a direct acknowledgment of one’s actions, even when they lead to mistakes or failures. Thus, its teachings emphasize a clear connection between the acceptance of responsibility and the cultivation of moral and spiritual growth.
Below is our full list of bible verses on excuses (King James Version – KJV) provided in ranked order.
Most Popular Bible Verses About Excuses
Luke 14:18-20
“18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”
Exodus 4:10-14
“10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.”
Related Themes: Preaching
Luke 9:59-62
“59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Related Themes: Procrastination
Jeremiah 1:4-10
“4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”
Genesis 3:13
“13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”
Related Themes: Gossip
Romans 2:1
“1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”
Related Themes: Judging Others Criticism Judging Others Bullying
Romans 1:20
“20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”
Related Themes: Earth Omnipotence Creativity Omnipresence Creation
Genesis 3:12
“12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”
Related Themes: Complaining
Matthew 8:21
“21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.”
Exodus 4:1
“1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.”
Judges 6:12-17
“12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.”
Luke 14:18
“18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.”
2 Kings 5:10-14
“10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
2 Peter 3:9
“9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Related Themes: Repentance Patience Attitude Suffering Quitting
John 15:22
“22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.”
Jeremiah 1:7-8
“7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.”
Related Themes: Deliverance Outreach Direction Guidance
1 Kings 19:19-21
“19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”
Proverbs 26:13
“13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.”
Luke 14:20
“20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”
Related Themes: Family
Exodus 32:22-24
“22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.”
Related Themes: Jewelry
Luke 14:19
“19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.”
2 Timothy 1:7
“7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Related Themes: Fear Self Confidence Business Bullying Self-Control
Exodus 4:10
“10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
Related Themes: Preaching
Matthew 7:21
“21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Related Themes: Salvation Hell Reverence Hypocrisy Forgiveness
John 3:16
“16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Related Themes: Trespassing Life Love Money Omnipotence
Jeremiah 1:6
“6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.”
Exodus 4:13
“13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.”
Luke 1:37
“37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
Related Themes: Omnipotence Criticism Strangers Creativity Faith
Galatians 6:7
“7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Related Themes: Reaping Reaping What You Sow Reaping Lust Reaping What You Sow
Exodus 3:14
“14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”
Related Themes: Omnipresence Reputation Afterlife Omnipotence Strangers
