Always read the instructions!

You know when you get something new and you're excited! You stay up or get distracted trying to use a new gadget or try out a new thing.
So a few weeks back now (because it's taken me too long to write this blog!) after two LONG years of having an iPhone 5c, I upgraded to an iPhone 6. With the new phone, I received a new sim card, which I thought I didn't need because I already had one. However, the lady in the shop assured me that I needed the new sim card. (For the next part of the story, forgive my naivety). So I get home and put the new sim in and recall what the lady said to me as all I am seeing is no service! 'Yes you do need the new sim. Wait 24 hours and within that time the switch should have happened. So I charge the phone and wait...24 hours later, I'm still waiting!

I get tired of waiting and check the packaging the sim card was in and noticed there were instructions! I needed to text a number to get it all started :O. After reading that, I immediately sent the text and got ready to wait for another 24 hours! Luckily, the switch took less than two hours. How much easier would my life have been if I had read the instructions?

This reminds me of a story in the Bible. In the Old Testament era, God spoke to Moses about leading the children of Israel out of Egypt where they were slaves, into a land that would become theirs. Whilst travelling to this new land, Moses died and a young man named Joshua took up the position of leading the people to this new place. Once they had arrived, they could see it was a great place BUT this place already had inhabitants and so they were constantly at war. God had told the children of Israel to not go into covenant with any of the inhabitants of the land they were to take. In Joshua 9, we read of a people called the Gibeonites who were one of these inhabitants. Seeing how the children of Israel defeated their enemies, the Gibeonites hatched a plan and told Joshua and the children of Israel that they had come from a far away place. Usually the children of Israel would speak to God about the decisions they had to make but verse 14 says something interesting. "So the Israelite men partook of their food and did not consult the Lord". 

Not long after the Israelites mistakenly made a covenant with the Gibeonites, they discovered they were inhabitants of the land that was theirs! It was too late! They couldn't go back on their word!

My phone situation is not as severe as this, but sometimes we end up in situations because we don't seek wisdom. Proverbs 4:7 says get wisdom! Proverbs 9:10 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Many times in life we go through situations and end up taking 3 steps back because we don't consult wisdom-we don't seek God. Anytime we need wisdom, it is ready and available to us. All we need to do is read the instructions...

No more excuses

There's a programme on Radio 1 I love to listen to called 'Rage against the answer machine'. People phone in and get different things off their chest. Here is my platform...here is my time to release my rage...I'm always late!! I hate it! Set a time for 7:30, I'll get there 7:31, 7:35, 7:40 maybe even 8!! Regardless, it has become so bad that I'm known for being late.

I remember at sixth form and living 9 miles away, 2 buses away, an hour and a half bus journey away! Please note the bus I would catch from my house would only come every half hour. So guess what? I would be late!

Then one day, a friend questioned my lateness. How dare she?! I thought. 'I live 2 buses away...an hour and a half bus journey away...9 miles away...my first bus comes every half hour,' were my responses. 'So just leave earlier,' she said. End of conversation. I realised every reason I had given was actually an excuse. Living however many miles away did not explain why I was late. Like my friend said, I could just leave earlier.

My excuses caused me to NOT take responsibility for where I was - the situation I was in. I had to and still have to challenge myself not to make excuses, but to do something about where I am. In new situations, I can be very reserved and not talk openly to people. I 'excuse' myself - telling myself 'it's okay, I'm shy.' We sometimes have crutches in life we use as excuses to stay where we are.

In the Bible, we read the very first excuse found in Genesis 3. The serpent deceives Eve, persuading her to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil after she was told not to. Eve then gave the fruit to Adam and after Adam ate the fruit their nakedness was known. When God spoke with Adam and asked him why he had eaten of the tree, knowing he should not have, he responded, 'The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate.' Adam's excuse? Eve gave him the fruit. So where did the fault lie? Adam didn't accept responsibility for a decision that he made. If you look at Adam's words, he said, 'the woman whom YOU gave me'. Adam has not only blamed Eve, but God for giving Eve to him.

Sadly, we can end up in this rut - not taking responsibility for our choices or actions mean we don't move forward. I will never arrive somewhere on time if I don't take responsibility. :P

How much will we grow when we stop making excuses?