What excuse is keeping me from Following Jesus. A question for all.

Walking With Jesus

What Excuse Is Keeping You From Following Jesus?

Pastor Calvin Cook

August 18, 2026   — Day 28 of 40

Scripture Focus: Luke 9:57–62

“Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” — Luke 9:61–62 (NIV)

This morning in my prayer time I lingered in a place we don’t often want to even think about and especially pray about because we don’t think it a problem. That being excuses: the excuses I (making this personal and asking you to consider the same) and the excuses we hear others make. I have often been convicted by grace through the Holy Spirit about this but don’t think I ever really took the time to pray through this first for myself and then for others. This has to be one of the biggest obstacles in our walk with Jesus.

There are times when Jesus speaks very clearly to our hearts. We know He is calling us to follow Him more closely. We know there is something He wants us to surrender, somewhere He wants us to go, or something He wants us to do. But then come the words: “Yes, Lord, but first…”

I will be a better follower when things slow down a bit …….

I will follow You, Lord, but first let me get my life together.

I will follow You, but first let me take care of everything else.

I will follow You when I have more time.

I will follow You when the children are older, when work is less demanding, when the bills are paid, when I feel better, when I understand more, or when following You does not require so much from me.

We may call them reasons, responsibilities, or circumstances. Sometimes they are real concerns. But if we are honest, sometimes they become excuses that keep us from walking with Jesus. And in not walking with Jesus we will not experience the best in life.

I believe this is why the Holy Spirit brought me to Luke 9:57–62 while I was looking for something else and my friends it was like running into a brick wall. My soul, my heart, my mind was shaken as I was confronted by the Holy Spirit and I pray you experience the same.

In Luke 9, three people were confronted with the cost of following Him. One volunteered enthusiastically, saying, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus reminded him that following would not always be comfortable. Another heard Jesus say, “Follow me,” but gave an excuse to delay the response. A third said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first…”

Those words and those three situations all sound familiar.

We want to follow Jesus—as long as we can remain comfortable.

We want to obey Jesus—as long as His timing agrees with ours.

We want to walk with Jesus—as long as we can keep looking back at the life, habits, plans, and priorities we have always known.

Jesus was not teaching us to neglect people or ignore genuine responsibilities. He was revealing something about where our committed heart should be: nothing can be allowed to take His place. The call to follow Him cannot remain somewhere near the bottom of our list, waiting until everything else is finished.

The truth is that there will probably never be a perfect time to follow Jesus. Life will always contain responsibilities. The calendar will always fill up. Someone will always need something. Fear will always offer another reason to wait. Comfort will always whisper, “Maybe tomorrow.”

But Jesus is calling today. Right now.

Maybe the excuse is, “I am too busy.” Yet we make time for what we decide is important.

Maybe it is, “I am not ready.” But Jesus did not call perfect people. He called ordinary people who were willing to leave their nets and learn as they walked with Him.

Maybe it is, “I have made too many mistakes.” But grace is not reserved for people with clean histories. Jesus calls sinners, restores the broken, and gives new beginnings.

Maybe it is, “I am afraid of what following Jesus will cost me.” That may be the most honest excuse of all. Following Jesus does cost us something. It requires surrender. It means that His way becomes more important than our way, His plans become greater than our plans, and His will becomes the prayer of our lives.

But consider what it costs us not to follow Him.

How much peace do we lose while insisting on staying in control? How much purpose do we miss while waiting for a more convenient time? How long will we stand still, asking Jesus to bless the road we chose, when He is inviting us to walk the road He has prepared?

Walking with Jesus begins when we stop saying, “Lord, but first,” and simply say, “Yes, Lord.”

Not when we have all the answers. Not when every problem has been solved. Not when following becomes easy.

Today. What excuse have you been using to keep from walking more closely with Jesus? What have you placed after the words, “Lord, but first”? Is it time to lay that excuse down, take the next step, and follow Him?

Jesus is still calling. The question is not whether we have a reason to wait. We can always find one. The question is whether we trust Him enough to follow.

Maybe this prayer will be helpful:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for the excuses I have made and the ways I have delayed following You. I confess that I have allowed comfort, fear, busyness, my past, and my own plans to compete with Your call. Show me what I need to surrender. Give me the courage to stop saying, “But first,” and teach me to say, “Yes, Lord.” Help me take the next step today—not looking back, not running ahead, but walking faithfully with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thinking a bit further and asking:

What excuse do I need to lay down today so I can follow Jesus more faithfully?

Who is it today that might be waiting to be hearing me share Jesus with them. Who might be waiting to see an example of Jesus living in me.

Be aware your excuses not only affect you but could be affecting someone else’s eternity.