My 2-year old can be such a sweet heart. Lately, when I ask him to do something for me responds with, "OK, mom." He says things like, "thank you" and "please" and "you're welcome," and it totally blows me away. But, like all of us, he has his rough moments too. Sometimes it feels like there's no middle ground. It's either a strong and happy gumption to do whatever I ask him to do...or, it's a fight to get him to follow directions.
When he gets it in his mind that he's not going to be compliant, his favorite response is, "I can't." And, my rebuttal is always the same: "Yes, you can." Like the other day I asked him to put his slip-on boots on his feet. This is a task he's done all by himself for a while now. It's easy for him, and he usually does it with joy. But, not this time. Instead he laid down on the floor and announced, "I can't!" For whatever reason, the easy task seemed hard for him this time, and he didn't want to do it. In fact, he refused to do it on his own. I ended up having to force his boots on him while he kicked, flailed, and cried. To me, it seemed pretty pathetic...but, to him it was difficult, hard, and a daunting task. Because of his temper-tantrum, we didn't get where we were trying to go in time and he missed out on some of his special privileges. I don't know how other moms do it, but for me, punishing my child is never easy. And, I really don't like taking away their special privileges. Seeing them happy and getting what they want makes me really happy too. Unfortunately, when they act up I have to step in and enforce some kind of penalty.
Now, how many times have I done the same thing to God? How many times have I told God I can't do something that, clearly, He knows I can do? How many times have I made up an excuse or have I gotten so overwhelmed that I've given up on doing the task that God has asked me to do (or that someone else appointed by God has asked me to do)? It's heart-breaking to even think about. It also makes me wonder how many opportunities or "special privileges" I've missed out on because I've let myself get too overwhelmed by what God is asking.
I mean Moses, the person who lead all of God's chosen people out of Egypt, wasn't even sure he could do what God was asking. God asked him to go set His people free, and Moses came up with a list of excuses (Exodus 3-4) First, he was worried he wasn't good enough. (Exodus 3:11) Then, he was worried that no one would listen. (Exodus 4:1) And, even after God reassured him over and over again, Moses still found a reason to say, "I can't" (Exodus 4:10).
Now, thank God that He's a lot more patient, understanding, and encouraging than I am. Thank God he equipped Moses and brought alongside his brother to help him. Thank God Moses, even if he was throwing a temper-tantrum, followed through. But, I can certainly imagine how much heartache he could have avoided if he answered God right away with a resounding "Yes!" Would Pharaoh's heart have softened right away? Would God have saved Egypt from losing all of their first-born children? Would Israel have been able to enter the promise land right away? I'll never know for sure, but one thing that I do know is how feelings of "I can't" spread. And, I know that the "I can't" attitude makes it so that you don't get to where you're going as soon as you could have if you said, "I can." I also know that saying "I can't" makes you lose your special privileges. Oh, God! Forgive me!
The attitude of "I can't" affects more than just me. It affects everyone around me too. It makes things harder, not easier. Yes, quitting, and giving up, and being overwhelmed makes things harder not easier! So, the next time something comes my way that tempts me to say, "I can't," I want to pause for a minute and really think about it. Is it God that's asking me to do this? Is it someone appointed by God that's asking me to do it? If the answer to either of those questions is "yes" than I better just trust and believe that God will and is making me able.
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:20,21)
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