Reasons VS Excuses

As a former atheist, you could say I had my fair share of reasons for not following Jesus Christ. And if you’re familiar with my testimony, it was the suffering I endured as a child that fueled my disbelief. I’m sure you’ve heard it before—the age-old question: “How can a loving God allow us to suffer and not intervene?” or “How can an all-knowing and all-powerful God allow evil to exist, or at the very least not remove it?”

Trust me, I’ve asked worse.

I can now give a reason for my faith without a second thought. The very reasons I rejected Christ are the very reasons I now follow Him.

So, what changed?

Did God change my dad’s heart toward me so that he would want me? No.
Did He erase all the suffering from my childhood as though it never happened? No.
Did He make it so that no one remembers me from my old life? No, He didn’t.

What He did was change my perspective on all the reasons I didn’t follow Him, helping me understand that they weren’t reasons, they were excuses.

Here is something I wish I had understood sooner:

There is a quiet tension that many people live with, a sense that they are being called to something deeper, yet are held back by hesitation. For those who have encountered the message of Jesus, this tension often becomes personal. We see the beauty of His teachings, the radical love He embodies, and even the promise of transformation, yet we don’t always respond.

Why? Because while the reasons to follow Jesus are compelling, our excuses feel just as convincing.

And if you can’t tell the difference between a reason and an excuse, the chances that you will ever respond decrease drastically.

So, although I’ve said I have no desire to convince anyone to follow Christ, I do think it’s important to explain the difference.

I will list a few excuses for why we don’t respond to His call, and then give you the reasons why I chose to.

Excuse number one: “You will lose your freedom.”
Rest assured, you can’t lose something you never had. What you think is freedom is really bondage. What you call freedom is often just habit, distraction, or avoidance. True freedom is found only in Christ.

Excuse number two: “I am not good enough.”
That excuse sounds humble, but it’s actually pride that misunderstands grace. If following required perfection, no one could begin. The invitation has never been “fix yourself first”, it’s “come.”

Excuse number three (and the most frustrating, if I’m being honest): “I am not ready.”
We convince ourselves we’ll follow more seriously later, when life is easier, when we are more disciplined, when we understand everything, as though tomorrow is promised.

So, what are my reasons for following Him?

He gave me a life anchored in purpose. He didn’t just offer beliefs, but a way of life.

He gave me a love I couldn’t earn and grace I didn’t deserve. In a world driven by performance and comparison, He freed me. He took me as I was, not who I pretended to be.

He gave me transformation, not just information. He doesn’t call people to stay the same, He brings real change from the inside out. Patterns can be broken. Hearts can be softened. Lives can be rebuilt. I am proof.

And the one reason that binds my heart in gratitude is this: He gave me a hope that outlasts circumstances. He didn’t take away my hardship, but He reframed it. There is a deeper hope now, one not dependent on success, comfort, or control.

At some point, the excuses I had became less about evidence and more about willingness.

I don’t need to have everything figured out to take a step forward. I just needed honesty, the kind that admits both the pull toward something greater and the resistance within.

Because in the end, following Jesus wholeheartedly isn’t about having no doubts or struggles. It’s about choosing, again and again, which voice you will listen to: the reasons that call you forward, or the excuses that keep you where you are.