Father, I can't do it
When my children express interest in music, it truly warms my heart. We often talk about it together. I ask them, "Would you like to play the piano?" And I receive a response that may seem classical but thought-provoking.
"Dad, I CAN'T play the piano."
In a way, this response is true, and it seems applicable to many aspects of our lives.
"I can't cook; I can't ski (which is true for me); I can't play the clarinet, and so on."
In fact, it's a good thing that not everyone can do everything; otherwise, we'd live in a strange world.
This situation often occurs in our church life as well. The things we want to do (or at least say we want to do) often present themselves as challenges.
"I know I should forgive, but I can't."
"I want to love, but I can't."
"I don't want to get angry, but I do."
Usually, this situation is connected to the words of the Apostle Paul:
"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do... So, I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being, I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me." (Romans 7:15-20)
It cannot be denied that we have weaknesses due to living in our bodies. But let's contemplate the meaning of the phrase "I can't" or "I don't" when used to describe something.
"I can't do something" seems innocent and naive. What do we mean by this?
My abilities do not allow it.
My skills are not sufficient for this situation.
I cannot do it.
Therefore, let's continue our article with this question. Is the situation always like this?
What are you doing to change this situation?
Or, what efforts are you making in this regard?
Who are you seeking help from?
When I was younger and interested in sports, the idea of "I can't do it, I can't accomplish it" was related to being slower, less agile, and less durable compared to the standard set for us at the beginning of the season.
"We couldn't do it."
However, with 2-3 hours of training per day, working hard and encouraging each other, we tried to approach that standard together. The result might not have been perfect, but we definitely made progress, and this progress was usually proportional to the effort we put in. Some of us wanted to quit because it was tough, but we didn't. We continued together.
As a result, we might still say, "We couldn't do it," but we were trying. We were making an effort. We were improving, and usually, in the end, "we could do it."
The thing that led us to this outcome was the realization that the reason we couldn't do it was that we weren't working hard enough and were being sluggish. We knew we had to overcome this by making an effort.
So, when my children tell me, "Dad, I can't do this," I try to encourage them to make an effort because that's the only way they can achieve it.
In reality, when I speak with myself or my friends, whenever I hear myself or them say, "I can't do it; I can't accomplish it," my first question is:
How much effort are you putting in to be able to do it? What steps are you taking?
"I don't have time."
Just as we allocate time for eating, taking a shower, social media, and other things, we must set aside time for important matters (if they truly matter to us). Just as we seek help immediately when there is a problem with our life, health, or plumbing at home, if the answer is God, wouldn't it be wise to seek help from God alone in this matter?
In short, I think there's a fine line between "I can't do it, I can't accomplish it" and "I don't want to do it, or it's not a priority for me, important but not that important."
The solution lies in correct diagnosis, I believe.
With love,
Vahan
Therefore, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)