When you’re at the bottom of a hole with no way out rule number 1 is: Stop Digging! For all of us, but especially for men, we’re often at the bottom of a hole we dug making excuses for ourselves. Instead of admitting our mistake, or confessing our sin, we make excuses. They don’t work.

But we’re in good (?) company. Adam did it in the Garden when confronted with his sin. First he blamed Eve (the woman made me do it) and then swerved into accusing God (that you gave me). It didn’t work, he still got credit for introducing sin into the world. Aaron tried it at Mount Sinai when he made an idol for Israel to worship. “The people made me do it.” When that didn’t work he tried the amazingly dumb excuse: “I tossed the gold in the fire and out popped this idol.” (Exodus 32:21-24)

We haven’t learned from their mistakes because we keep trying to excuse our refusal to obey God. No matter what sin we try to excuse or explain away God’s heard them all and rejects them all. Rule #1: Stop Digging. Repent. Confess. Obey. It makes life so much easier.