In the 1912 Summer Olympics, Jim Thorpe became the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States. That day he won gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon events. But many are not aware of what happened that morning that could have prevented this accomplishment.

If you look closely at a famous photo of Jim at the Olympics, you can see that he's wearing mismatched shoes and socks. On the morning of his competitions, his shoes were stolen. A runner's shoes are their most important piece of equipment, and it could have been all over for Jim. But he wouldn't give up.

Jim ended up finding two shoes in a garbage can. One of the shoes was too big, so he had to wear an extra sock. He persevered, and wearing these shoes, Jim won two gold medals that day. He did not make excuses or let this obstacle hinder him from moving forward into the destiny God had for him.

So what excuses do you use to keep from moving forward? Are you too old or too young? No education or finances? Do you have poor health? Are you unskilled or think you have no talents? No time or support? Were you born across the tracks? Have you failed before and afraid to try again?

We can come up with enough excuses throughout our lives to keep ourselves from ever fulfilling our purposes. If we look at some Bible characters throughout the ages, they also tried to use excuses, yet made the decision to move forward in spite of the obstacles.

Moses was 80 years old when God called him to go rescue his people from Egypt. Moses' excuse: “I stutter when I talk and they won't believe me anyway.” God called Jeremiah to be His prophet at a young age. His excuse: “I can't speak for you! I'm too young!” However, God didn't buy their excuses and used them to accomplish His purposes.

Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah 90 when Isaac, their son of promise was born. Their excuses of being too old and even barren were certainly valid, but God. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was not only a teenager but a virgin, yet she gave birth to the Savior of the world.

The great prophet Elijah had bouts of depression, was suicidal and exhausted, yet God did many great feats through him. The apostle Paul, who wrote much of the new testament, had very poor eyesight and a “thorn in the flesh” that God refused to remove.

Jesus' disciples were uneducated men, yet they spread the gospel throughout the world. Jesus had no home, nowhere to lay His head, but God provided the support He and His disciples needed through some wealthy women.

There are no good excuses in God's economy. It doesn't matter what we see as obstacles - nothing is impossible with God. He will make a way where there seems to be no way if we will persevere through the obstacles and allow Him to work through us. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Excuses always replace progress.” No more excuses.

Hope Ministries is a Christian counseling center, and we are here to help. If you would like to speak confidentially with someone, give us a call at 482-5300.