When Life Changesنموونە

 When You Feel Like You Can't 

When God says, “Go,” our first battle is the one we fight with ourselves. The battle with our attitude. 

My husband and I recently took our daughter—a gifted athlete and daredevil—out to learn how to ride a bike. She blinked up at us from beneath her huge helmet, crocodile tears threatening. 

“I can’t ride a bike!” she insisted. 

As I stood there wringing my hands (classic Mom), Kevin insisted (classic Dad), “Sure you can! Let’s go!” And without giving her time to work up to full-blown panic mode, he started pushing her down the street, jogging alongside. She had no choice but to pedal, but the whole time she was shrieking, “I can’t, I can’t!” After a few yards, Kevin let go. . .and she kept speeding down the street, hollering, “I can’t, I can’t!”—even as she proved herself wrong. 

Isn’t that what we often do with God? He pushes us out of our comfort zone. We zoom along, fighting and crying, “I can’t do this!”—but the fact is, we are already doing it. The fact is, with God we can. 

Can we talk about those two crippling words: I can’t? 

Because I have said those words too many times. 

“I can’t keep living in (whatever situation I don’t want to be in).” 

“I can’t do (that thing God wants me to do).” 

Can’t. 

The thing is, with God on our side, very few things are actually can’t-level things. And can we be honest? When we say, “I can’t,” most of the time we’re really saying, “I won’t.”

When we say, “I can’t,” we write off God’s power, His promises. During a time of intense suffering, the apostle Paul wrote: 

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:7–9)

Paul and his friends were hard pressed, but not crushed. 

Perplexed, but not in despair. 

Persecuted, but not abandoned. 

Struck down, but not destroyed. 

The next time you are tempted to shut down and stop growing, the next time you are tempted to shout, “But Lord, I can’t,” remember this: Maybe you can’t. . .but God can. And maybe, with God, you already are.