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Can’t Never Could, Until He Tried
by Bro. Justin Osborne
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.
Being a father of three teaches you a lot about life. Sometimes
I find myself learning life lessons just by watching and
observing the way my children handle certain situations and
circumstances that life throws at them. I also find humor in the
fact that they never cease to amaze me. My children’s favorite
phrase in the Osborne house is “I can’t.” I know
that there are certain tasks that my children are still unable
to accomplish at this time in life due to age, size, and stature
but I have found that those two words become more of an excuse
at times than they are a factual statement. I will ask them to
help carry in the groceries and within seconds I will hear the
words, but Dad, “I can’t it’s too heavy”, when I
have asked them to carry in a loaf of bread. I will even ask
them to help look for something that has been misplaced and
before they have even ventured out to search for the lost item I
will hear, but Dad, “I can’t find it.” My first
reaction is frustration in their lack of motivation and
willingness to participate in aiding in the search of the lost
item, (which most the times I have misplaced), but I quickly
just look, laugh, and learn that they are just reacting the same
way I do at times when God ask me to do something that I find
impossible.
I have found that as Christians that instead of just being
obedient and faithful to God when He gives us an assignment to
accomplish that we often throw up our hands before we get
started and simply say but God, “I can’t.” I think
of the twelve spies who went over to search out the land of
Canaan and came back with the report of impossibility and fear,
even though God had promised the land to the children of Israel
before they had even gone over to spy it out. They saw the
giants and the walled cities and I can almost hear them crying
out to Moses “We can’t.”
As a child when I felt that a chore was to challenging for me to
face I would cry to my parents with the same two words, “I
can’t.” My parents were a little more quick witted than
I am because they always had a statement of their own when I
said I can’t, which was “Can’t never could, until he tried.”
That was my parent’s way of telling me that son be willing to
put forth the effort before you cry out in defeat.
The Apostle Paul, in prison and forsaken wrote to the Philippian
church one of the greatest and most popular passages of
scripture written in the Word of God. He had learned how to be
content with whatever situation or circumstance that he faced.
As great of a Christian as the Apostle Paul was, he too
struggled with those famous two words, but he did not let
“I can’t” stop him. In the midst of everything he
encountered I am certain the apostle Paul rested upon the fact
that even though he was incapable, God was more than capable to
perform and overcome what the apostle Paul could not.
You see Christian God also recognizes that we in and of
ourselves are unable to complete the duties that He has given us
to complete. That is why He has given us the grace to carry out
our service for Him through the power and strength of the Lord
Jesus Christ. There are times that my children are just
physically incapable of performing the responsibilities that
they have been given. You may ask why I give them a job to do
knowing that they in and of themselves cannot accomplish it, but
my hope is that I will teach them not to say “I can’t”,
but that I will teach them to ask for my assistance.
Christian we truly cannot live for God, and make a difference
for God without God. God knows that you can’t but He knows that
through Him we can do all things. So when the task at hand seems
too overwhelming and unattainable call and rest upon the one for
whom nothing is overpowering and too demanding. We truly can do
all things through Christ, we just need to try and trust in the
strength of our Savior.
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