Can't Never Could Do Nothing

I tell my kids all the time that if they think they can't, they can't. You probably tell your kids the same thing. Why do we do this? Isn't it because we know the hardest thing to overcome is our own mind, once made up? At some point though, we grow up, and all of a sudden it's acceptable to say "I could never do______".

What have you said you could never do?

Lose weight?
Run a marathon?
Adopt?
Stop using credit cards?
Have a big family?
Homeschool?
Go to church?
Join a ministry?

Saying we "can't", really isn't an acceptable response, but even more so for a Christian. Phillipians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me". If the thing we could never do is something God is calling us to do, then it's just plain sin to say "I could never...".

"I could never..." may really mean we don't want to be uncomfortable or we don't want to change. It could also mean we don't want to make the sacrifices necessary. It may mean we simply don't trust God to enable us to do what He wants us to.

Here's a personal example: I, Natalie, don't think I could ever adopt again. I have been saying this for a long time. Lately, the Lord has been piercing my heart about this very matter. My attitude should be "Lord, whatever you want for me is what I want. If it is to adopt again, then I will gladly follow where You lead, knowing that Your plans are perfect, and my obedience glorifies Your name." Instead, while my words are "I could never adopt again" what I am really saying is "I really don't ever want to adopt again. It's too hard, requires too much sacrifice. I am comfortable with the way my life is, and I am unwilling to trust that Your ways are higher than mine. I enjoy my own comfort and I am too selfish to die to myself and so I will just say to You and to everyone who hears, 'I could never do this again'."

That's not so pretty, is it?

I started thinking, how does this example I am setting impact my children? If I am telling them every day "don't say you can't do it, you CAN do it" and then I say I can't do something...is my behavior reinforcing the values I want them to have or is it contradicting them? If I pray with them and ask God to help them love, serve and OBEY Him all the days of their lives, and then I am unwilling to be obedient in every area of my life, aren't I being hypocritical?

Every day, God reminds me more and more of the exceedingly great burden we have as parents to train and lead our children. As we have studied the history of Israel in Bible study these past weeks, we have seen the trickle-down effect sin has on children. David sinned, but repented and was still a man after God's own heart. His son Solomon, sinned by having a divided heart, split (into a thousand or so pieces) between God, his 700 wives and 300 concubines. Because of his divided heart and his willingness to serve other gods, God divided the kingdom of Israel in two. From there on, wickedness prevailed interspersed only occasionally with a king who did right in the sight of the Lord.

If I say "I can't" when He calls me...what does that say to my children?

How will that effect my family generations from now?