Excuses or Reasons?
How Grace Turns Imagination into Hope
As this new year begins, many people continue to reflect.
We think about what didn’t change.
What we hoped would be different by now.
What we quietly postponed.
And often—without realizing it—we reach for explanations.
Some of those explanations are reasons.
Others are excuses.
They may sound similar.
But they grow from very different roots.
Where Excuses Are Born
An excuse is not a lack of imagination.
It’s often a misuse of it.
God gave us imagination to see possibility, beauty, and new creation.
But when fear enters, imagination can turn inward.
Excuses are stories we create to protect ourselves—from discomfort, failure, or disappointment.
They usually sound reasonable.
Responsible.
Even wise.
But beneath them is often resignation:
“This is just how it is.”
“I’ve tried before.”
“It probably wouldn’t change anyway.”
Excuses keep us safe—but small.
They preserve energy—but slowly drain hope.
Where Reasons Are Discovered
Reasons are not manufactured.
They are revealed.
Reasons emerge when grace meets willingness.
Grace doesn’t ignore reality—it empowers movement within it.
It doesn’t deny difficulty—it supplies strength.
A reason sounds different than an excuse:
“This matters.”
“Someone will be helped.”
“Love is calling me forward.”
Reasons don’t pretend it will be easy.
They simply trust it will be worth it.
Grace awakens imagination again—not to avoid life, but to engage it.
The Outcomes Tell the Story
Excuses tend to lead to resignation.
A slow settling.
A quiet acceptance of less.
Reasons lead to hope.
Not loud optimism—but grounded expectation.
Hope says:
“Change is possible.”
“I am not alone.”
“God is at work with me.”
One closes the future down.
The other opens it up.
And the difference is not willpower—it’s where we’re drawing strength from.
God’s Solution: Grace That Empowers
God does not shame us for our excuses.
He understands fear.
But He never leaves us there.
Grace is not pressure to improve.
It is the power to participate.
Abba doesn’t demand resolutions.
He invites relationship.
As a new year approaches, the question is not, “What should I fix?”
It’s, “Where is love inviting me to respond?”
Grace turns “I can’t” into “I’m willing.”
And willingness is where transformation begins.
Reflection
Where might imagination have been used to protect you instead of propel you?
What invitation might God be offering that sounds less like pressure and more like hope?
What small step, empowered by grace, could open space for love to move this year?
Prayer