I’m guessing most of us have been tardy or absent due to traffic or oversleeping or important obligations, but few of us have ever used any of these as actual excuses for missing work. They include: My husband thinks it’s funny to hide my car keys before he goes to work. My heat was shut off, so I had to stay home to keep my snake warm. My left turn signal was out, so I had to make all right turns to get to work. I didn’t want to lose the parking space in front of my house. I had a heart attack early that morning, but I am “all better now.” My dog was stressed out after a family reunion. My wife burned all my clothes and I have nothing to wear to work. (I’m guessing there’s more to that story!) My psychic told me to stay home. My dog dialed 911, and the police wanted to question me about what “really” happened. I tasted some dog food because the dog was not feeling well and now I’m sick. My son tried to flush our ferret down the toilet and I needed to tend to the ferret.

Those seem like some pretty wild explanations trying to justify being absent, but there’s a serious side to this issue. “Employee absenteeism is one of the most common workplace problems facing employers in today’s workplace,” according to HR Hero. It costs employers greatly as it can lead to lower productivity, lost revenue and even poor morale. Add to that all the problems related to a lack of punctuality as a survey finds that tardiness is increasing.

There’s a serious side to the supposedly valid “reasons” for believers lack of involvement in the Church as well. In speaking about the kingdom of God, Jesus shared this illustration: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to arrive. But they all began making excuses. One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it… Another said he had just bought five pair of oxen and wanted to try them out… Another had just been married…” (Luke 14:16-20) Many non-believers have all kinds of explanations of why they’re rejecting the Lord’s invitation to His salvation banquet. But there are also many lame excuses that Christians offer for their lack of commitment.

They may say “Here’s why I don’t read my Bible consistently… or attend church regularly… or take part in some kind of study group… or serve in some way… or support the church financially… or share my faith with others or, at least, let them know I’m a Christian.” Whatever their reasoning might be, it’s almost always illegitimate. Ben Franklin wrote “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” I think it all comes down to an issue of worldly concerns and wrong priorities taking precedence over the things God expectsof His people- and He does have expectations.

Proverbs 24:12 says “Don’t hesitate to step in and help. If you say, “Hey, that’s none of my business,” will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know—Someone not impressed with weak excuses.” I think this applies to not just helping others, but everything believers are called to. As we enter this new year, take the time to consider whether there is room for improvement in various areas of your Christian life. And, instead of making lame excuses, make changes. Remember: Someone is watching closely.

Happy New Year, Jim