“We love because he first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19
That’s a funny little word. “Why did you do that?” And the answer begins with, “Because.” What about the question, “Why do we have to do it this way?” Because. We even explain things with this conjunction: “I went ahead and sold your favorite gadget online because we needed the money for more things I want… I mean need.”
Maybe the ultimate abuse of this word comes in this form: “I just did it because.” What? You can’t say that. It’s an incomplete sentence, thought, and reasoning. So you mean we get to evade and avoid any further explanation and consequence if we just use that magic word “because?” It’s as though “because” justifies any and every thought or action. We probably all use it in some form every day. Some uses of it have small consequences, but some are life altering.
The “Because” of Excuse
Maybe some of these come to mind when thinking about how this word gets used in Scripture:
Adam ate the fruit from the forbidden tree. Why? Because of the woman You gave me. Cain killed his brother Abel. Why? Because God’s treatment of Abel was unfair. God had Aaron speak for Moses. Why? Because Moses said he couldn’t speak eloquently. Peter cut the ear off a soldier. Why? Because they were going to take Jesus.
Notice the pattern. Every one of those “because” statements is an attempt to shift responsibility. Adam pointed at Eve. Cain pointed at God. Moses pointed at his own limitations. Peter pointed at the circumstances. In every case, “because” became the exit ramp from accountability.
There is another word that creeps up here as well. It’s “excuse.” These two words go hand in hand. Giving an excuse justifies the “because.” Whatever dumb decision you just made, whatever offense you just committed, you can excuse it away with a “because.” Look at the definition of excuse: an explanation offered as a reason for being excused. Did you see that? Most of the time we give a “because” or an excuse when we want to be pardoned, not held accountable, freed, or justified.
That’s the common thread in the biblical examples above. Unfortunately, it’s also the common usage of the word in most Christians’ lives.
The Leader’s “Because” Problem
For leaders, “because” might be the most dangerous word in your vocabulary. Not because it’s always wrong, but because it’s so easy to use as a shield against the accountability your leadership requires.
I’ve heard versions of it in nearly every difficult leadership conversation I’ve been a part of. “I made that decision because I was under pressure.” “I responded that way because they provoked me.” “I haven’t addressed that issue because the timing isn’t right.” “I cut that corner because we didn’t have the resources.” “I avoided that conversation because it would have caused conflict.”
Every one of those might contain a kernel of truth. But every one of them is also using “because” to deflect rather than own. And the pattern is as old as the Garden. The moment something goes wrong, the instinct is to reach for a “because” that shifts the weight off your shoulders and onto someone else, something else, or some circumstance you couldn’t control.
The problem is that leaders who live in “because” never grow. If every failure has an external explanation, there’s never anything to actually address internally. If the reason is always out there somewhere, you never have to look in here. And that’s exactly what the word is designed to do when it’s used as an excuse. It protects you from the very thing that would make you a better leader: honest self-examination.
Think about Adam for a moment. His “because” didn’t just deflect responsibility. It actually blamed God. “The woman You gave me.” That’s not just an excuse. That’s an accusation. And leaders do this more than they realize. “I wouldn’t be struggling if You hadn’t put me in this situation, God.” “I wouldn’t have reacted that way if You hadn’t allowed this person on my team.” “I wouldn’t be burned out if You hadn’t given me this much responsibility.” The “because” becomes an indictment of the very God you’re supposed to be serving.
The “Because” That Changes Everything
OK. It sounds like the only use of this word is negative. That’s actually not the case at all. There are some powerful ways in which this word can be life changing.
Just remember: “because” can be used as an excuse with the hopes of getting out of accountability and responsibility. Or it can be used to recognize who you are as a result of who God is.
That distinction is the whole ballgame for leaders. When “because” shifts from excuse to identity, it transforms the way you lead, the way you love, and the way you live.
Look at how God uses the word:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me…” (Isaiah 61:1). Not because I earned it. Not because I deserved it. Because He anointed me. The calling isn’t rooted in your qualification. It’s rooted in His decision.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…” (Ephesians 2:4–5). Because of His great love. Not because of your great performance. Not because of your impressive resume. Because He loved you when you were dead. That’s God’s “because,” and it’s the foundation of everything.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (Lamentations 3:22). You’re still here because of His love. Your ministry still exists because of His compassion. Your life hasn’t been consumed by your failures because His mercies show up new every single morning.
“We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). That’s the ultimate cause and effect. We don’t love because we decided to. We don’t love because it’s a leadership strategy. We love because He loved us first. Our “because” is a response to His.
Do you see the difference? The excuse “because” points away from responsibility. God’s “because” points toward His character as the reason for everything good in your life. One protects you from accountability. The other anchors you in identity.
Leading from God’s “Because”
When a leader shifts from excuse-based “because” to identity-based “because,” the transformation is unmistakable.
Instead of “I lost my temper because they pushed me,” it becomes “I can extend patience because Christ has been patient with me.” Instead of “I avoided that conversation because it was too hard,” it becomes “I can have that conversation because the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Instead of “I’m burned out because nobody appreciates what I do,” it becomes “I can keep going because His compassions never fail and His mercies are new every morning.”
The circumstances haven’t changed. The leader has. The “because” has been relocated from external excuse to internal identity. And that relocation changes everything about how you carry the weight of leadership.
This is what it means to be a reliable messenger in the truest sense. You don’t carry the message because you’re qualified. You carry it because He anointed you. You don’t love people because they’re easy to love. You love them because He first loved you. You don’t keep going because the results justify the effort. You keep going because His great love has not consumed you, and His compassions are showing up fresh today.
That’s a “because” worth building your leadership on.
Next Steps for the Leader Who Wants to Reclaim “Because”
Catch yourself using “because” as an excuse this week. Pay attention to the moments when you reach for an external explanation to deflect from an internal issue. When you hear yourself say “I did it because…” or “I didn’t do it because…,” pause and ask whether that “because” is honest ownership or blame-shifting. The awareness alone will start to change the pattern.
Replace one excuse “because” with an identity “because.” Pick one area of your leadership where you’ve been making excuses and rewrite the “because.” Instead of “I can’t lead through this because it’s too hard,” try “I can lead through this because the Spirit of God is upon me.” Instead of “I don’t have what it takes because I’m not gifted enough,” try “I have everything I need because God has anointed me for this assignment.” The rewrite isn’t denial. It’s a declaration of who you are because of who God is.
Sit with Ephesians 2:4–5 and let God’s “because” wash over you. He loved you when you were dead. Not when you were impressive. Not when you were performing well. When you were dead. His “because” for saving you was His own great love, not your great merit. Let that truth recalibrate your sense of worth this week. You are not leading because you earned the right. You are leading because He loved you into life.
Stop blaming God for your circumstances. If you’ve been pulling an Adam and using “because” to accuse God of putting you in a situation you didn’t choose, bring that to Him honestly. He can handle it. But don’t let the accusation become your operating system. God didn’t set you up for failure. He set you up for dependence. There’s a difference.
Dwell on these passages throughout the day. Isaiah 61:1. Ephesians 2:4. Lamentations 3:22. 1 John 4:19. Each one contains a “because” that can anchor your identity and reshape your leadership. Read them slowly. Let the word “because” jump off the page. And ask God to help you live from His “because” instead of your own excuses.
“Because” can be the word that keeps you from growing, or the word that reminds you of everything God has already done. The choice is yours. But the leader who builds their life on God’s “because” will never run out of reasons to keep going.
We love because He first loved us. Start there. Everything else follows.