UNEXCEPTABLE EXCEPT-THATS

     The reigns of the Old Testament kings are usually described by first of all telling if they did good or evil in the sight of the Lord, followed by an explanation. It has always intrigued me that so may of their epitaphs included the following types of comments:
-He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, except that he didn't tear down the alters of Baal, or the high places.
-He served the Lord like his father David, except that...
-He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, however...
-The high places, however, were not removed.
     It seems that, though they loved God, they fell just short of living like their fathers did. These short-comings led to consequences that sometimes lasted for generations. I unconsciously find myself asking why, when they were just that close to being fully committed to Him, did they tolerate the "except that" and "however" actions in their lives? Then I hear the question whispered in my ear, "What about your life? What have you allowed in your life that would leave the footnote except that?"
     Did I make an exception for:
-Not loving to the point of sacrifice and giving of myself, regardless of the cost.
-Not giving more in the way of finances, whether to others or the Lord.
-Caring so little about spiritual growth that reading, praying, pursuing wisdom was relegated to about #7 on my to-do list.
-Only trusting God till things got hard.
-Allowing myself to be lured by money.
-Allowing the cares of life to obscure my sight of a sovereign God.
      It seems to me that my biggest struggle, and I think our culture's as well, is frenetic activity. Run, run, run. Rush here, rush there. Not enough hours in the day. My list of to-do lists. My concern that something will remain unfinished. (That one is guaranteed!) All of this is beyond being a mere footnote. And it's too important to read, agree with, and go on with no change in our actions. We must carve out time to STOP! To think about our actions and priorities.
      Having said all of that, we will fail. We will fall short. We are undeniably human and frail. But we also need to take stock of our lives, and ask the Lord to show us where we are failing to be fully committed to Him. As the book of James points out, failing to do what we know we should do is sin. Join me in attempting to root out the "except-thats" in our lives.