Key Words: And they all with one consent began to make excuse
Those who make excuses face the self-induced trial of not being blessed. It’s not that people can’t; it’s that they won’t.
Can't and won't. Christians need to be very careful which one they choose. It seems that we prefer to use can't.
"I just can't get along with my wife."
"My husband and I can't communicate."
"I can't discipline the kids like I should."
"I just can't give up the affair I'm having."
"I can't stop overeating."
"I can't find the time to pray."
"I can't quit gossiping."
No, any Christian who takes seriously those five passages we looked at (there are dozens more) will have to confess the word really should be won't. Why? Because we have been given the power, the ability to overcome. Literally!
One of the best books you can read on overcoming depression is a splendid work by two physicians, Minirth and Meier. The volume is appropriately entitled Happiness Is A Choice. These men agree that: “As psychiatrists we cringe whenever [Christian] patients use the word can't. . . .
“Any good psychiatrist knows that ‘I can't’ and ‘I've tried’ are merely lame excuses. We insist that our patients be honest with themselves and use language that expresses the reality of the situation. So we have our patients change their can'ts to won'ts. . . .”
If an individual changes all his can'ts to won'ts, he stops avoiding the truth, quits deceiving himself, and starts living in reality. . . .
"I just won't get along with my wife."
"My husband and I won't communicate."
"I won't discipline the kids like I should."
"I just won't give up the affair I'm having."
"I won't stop overeating."
"I won't find the time to pray"
"I won't quit gossiping."
I close by reminding each of us that those who made excuses in verse 18 missed the great supper in verse 24. The self-induced trial of excuses leaves us in spiritual hunger.
What to do:
✞ Make up your mind: be truthful, don’t say you can’t.
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