“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.”
- Proverbs 21:2
I’ve noticed something about you humans, you all can justify just about anything.
I know, because I’ve tried it myself.
I can usually find a reason to drag a shoe into the yard,
Maybe it smelled interesting.
Maybe it was in my way.
Maybe I was protecting the family from dangerous footwear.
It all makes perfect sense to me.
My human was sitting in his chair on the porch this morning, Bible open and coffee in hand. I was stretched out nearby, pretending not to listen. Then I heard him read about the heart.
That got me thinking.
Humans are mighty good at explaining why they do what they do:
“They started it.”
“I had no choice.”
“You don’t understand.”
“That’s just how I am.”
And if we repeat our reasons long enough, we can almost convince ourselves that having a good reason is the same thing as being right.
But Jesus has a way of bringing both grace and truth into the room.
His grace says, “Come to Me. You are not beyond forgiveness.”
But His truth says, “Don’t keep calling sin something else.”
Jesus does not expose our hearts to shame us and walk away.
He exposes what is broken so He can heal it.
He forgives us, but He also loves us too much to leave us comfortably living behind excuses.
That is where following Jesus gets personal.
I can justify chewing up a shoe all day long, but the shoe is still chewed up.
And we can justify bitterness because someone hurt us.
Gossip because “it’s true.”
Pride because we have been successful.
Anger because somebody deserves it.
Distance from God because life is busy.
But a good explanation does not make a wrong response righteous.
Maybe the harder question isn’t, “Do I have an excuse?” Maybe it is, “What is Jesus asking me to do now?”
Am I holding onto something He has asked me to surrender?
Am I defending an attitude He is trying to change?
Am I asking for grace while refusing to face the truth about my own heart?
The good news is that when we stop justifying ourselves, we don’t fall into condemnation. We fall into the grace of Jesus.
And there, grace forgives us, truth confronts us, and the Holy Spirit begins changing us.
So before you defend your next choice, pause for a moment.
Ask Jesus to weigh your heart.
You may have your reasons.
But are they leading you closer to Him—or simply helping you stay where you are?
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to check on that shoe.
And see if I can salvage it.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
