By TONY HOSS
Oftentimes it seems that people try to find a reason or excuses to not do what they know they should do. Many so called excuses begin with the phrase “what if.” This was the tactic that Moses tried to use when he was seeking a way around God’s demands. Many individuals try to avoid doing the right thing by using statements that include the phrases “I can’t”, “I won’t”, or “I don’t”. The problem is that these phrases usually keep people from doing the things they know they should do. They oftentimes keep individuals with great ability from reaching their full potential. I often wonder how different the world would be if individuals from mankind’s history had used excuses rather than trying to reach their full potential. On the other hand, what if people from all periods of time would have done anything to live up to their full potential? There is no way to fully know how the world may have been changed. Consider the following individuals and what would have been missed if they had searched for an excuse.
What if: Michelangelo said, “I don’t do ceilings.” Thomas Edison said, “I don’t do electricity.” Michael Jordan said, “I don’t do basketball.” Babe Ruth said, “I don’t do baseball.” Neil Armstrong said, “I don’t do space.” George Washington said, “I don’t do revolutions.” Henry Ford said, “I don’t do cars.” Walt Disney said, “I don’t do mice.” Steve Jobs said, “I don’t do technology, especially phones.” Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google founders) said, “We don’t do social media.” Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder) said, “I don’t do social networking.” What a difference these people made in the world; all because they wanted to do something without seeking excuses.
I wonder what the world would have been if God would have accepted the feeble excuses of Moses when he effectively said, I’m not a leader or the attitude of Jonah when he tried to evade his responsibility to preach God. Perhaps the greatest what if would have been if Jesus would have said, “I don’t do crosses?” What a different world we would live in if Jesus would have had an “I don’t, I can’t or I won’t” attitude. The next time you feel like quitting, or never starting, consider those men and women who have gone before us doing all they could to make a difference in the world. Every person reading this article today has been blessed because of the efforts and desire of others to make a difference in the world.
(Tony Hoss is minister at the Centerview Church of Christ. To submit a question or to contact Tony, call 423-737-2287 or e-mail: CenterviewCOC@comcast.net)