Are you stuck in the cycle of excuses? Whether you’re young or seasoned, it’s time to leave behind what I call The A/J excuse – the Abraham and Jeremiah excuse.

Look at what Jeremiah said when God called him:

Jeremiah 1:4-7 (NIV)

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah’s excuse was that he was too young. Many people think they aren’t ready for God to use them in a great way because they aren’t mature enough, old enough, or wise enough. But God doesn’t call the mature, He matures the called. God never accepts the excuse that we are too young. If He has called you to it, He will see you through it.

If you’re in the younger crowd, you may resonate with Jeremiah. Like him, you doubt your abilities, thinking you’re not good enough, experienced enough, or knowledgeable enough. But here’s the truth – God has called you for greatness, and He will provide everything you need to step out and make a difference.

On the other hand, if you’re in the older crowd, you may relate to Abraham. 

Let’s look at what he did when God called him:

Genesis 17:15-19 (NIV)

God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

Abraham fell facedown and laughed when God gave him a promise. Abraham thought he and Sarah were too old to be used by God. They thought their time had passed. How many times do we feel we have missed our opportunity and that we are too late? We can make the excuse that our time has passed, but that is never the case. There is always more to be done.

You might feel like you’ve already done enough and it’s time to take a backseat. But God has a message for you too – you still have a purpose, even in this stage of life. Don’t let age hold you back from embracing new opportunities and contributing to the world.

Whether you identify more with Abraham or Jeremiah, it’s time to shed your excuses and step into your full potential.