We Can’t . . . But He Can!

Early in my journalistic career, while working as an assistant editor on a suburban newspaper, I was assigned responsibility for closing out the Saturday morning edition. I’d only been on the job for several weeks, but this new responsibility seemed to be going well. With layouts for the front and “jump” pages nearly complete, I was feeling pleased with myself.

Then I heard an alert from one of the wire service machines. Uh-oh! A major calamity had occurred in another state, involving a school bus and dozens of children. I couldn’t ignore this tragedy just because my page layouts were about finished. This breaking news needed to be in the paper.

Reluctantly I began revamping the layouts with only a short time before the presses were set to start. Delays cost money. I knew how to do page designs, but not under such tight deadline constraints. As the seconds ticked by, I frantically tried to make the necessary changes – essentially starting from scratch. Panic started to pervade my thinking. “What should I do?!”

Then the “cavalry” arrived, in the person of the managing editor. He had just “stopped by” to see how I was doing. I’m sure a single glance told him I wasn’t doing very well. But rather than berate me, he sat down beside me and started revamping the pages. Within a few minutes the layouts were done and passed along to the composing staff to assemble. Doom had been averted.

With potential disaster staring me in the eye, the senior editor had swooped in and saved the morning. He did what I could not.

Recalling this little episode has provided a metaphor for many moments in my life. Things seem to be going well when suddenly something drastic occurs that disrupts the calm. I attempt to respond, but nothing works. What do I do now?

Sometimes, as I’ve learned, the answer to that question is simple: Nothing. There’s not a thing within my human capabilities that can be done. There’s only one place to look for the answer, and that’s UP. At such times there’s nothing more pleasing to God than to hear us admit, “Lord, I can’t do this!” Because then He can demonstrate what He can do – and that He doesn’t need our help.

Jesus asserted this when He told His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). He wasn’t referring only to crises that exceed our capabilities. Jesus was talking about anything of eternal value. We can only accomplish those things through His power.

Later the apostle Paul, writing about how he could endure times of deprivation and struggle, as well as times of abundance and tranquility, said, “I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). I could never recount all of the times I’ve experienced the same thing – when the seeming impossible became possible, but only through the Lord’s enabling power.

It might involve dealing with a devastating loss, addressing overwhelming personal challenges, or answering God’s call to do something well beyond our comfort zone. “I can’t do this, Lord!” we cry. His reply is, “I know. But I can do it – through you.”

The ultimate example, of course, involves our sinfulness that totally separated us from God. When the only standard is holiness, absolute righteousness, no amount of good deeds and intentions can offset our depravity. 

Reflecting on his recurring tendency for not doing what he wanted to do, and doing what he didn’t want to do, the apostle Paul wrote, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). Have you ever asked a question similar to this? I know I have. 

But then Paul added, “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord…. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 7:25-8:2).

Writing to a different audience, believers in the city of Corinth, the apostle reaffirmed this truth: “God made [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Whether it’s confronting formidable challenges that seem beyond our capacity or acknowledging our inability to “clean up our act” to establish an everlasting relationship with God, the reality is actually very simple: We can’t – but He can!

When the Weight Gets Too Heavy to Carry

Can you carry a medium-sized glass of water? Unless you’re restricted by a physical disability, you can with ease. For a while, that is. But what if you were forced to hold up that water glass for 30 minutes without stopping? Would it feel like it was getting heavier, even though in reality the weight hadn’t changed?

A water glass - and life's problems - can
become unbearable weights over time.

How about after an hour or two – how easy would carrying the glass seem then? Your hand and arm would probably start feeling achy. If you tried to carry the water glass continuously for an entire day, can you imagine how painful that would be? Your arm likely would become numb, maybe even paralyzed by the effort.

An online video made this point recently, not for encouraging people to lug glasses of water around all day, but to offer a metaphor for our all-too-common practice of carrying the worries and stresses that fill our lives, without help. Bearing them for a little while, a few minutes, isn’t much of a problem. But the longer we carry those burdens on our own, the heavier they become. They can even paralyze us after a while.

That’s one reason for the appeal of support groups, ranging from Alcoholics Anonymous to cancer survivors’ meetings to new parents’ gatherings. As glorious as life can seem at times, at other times it loads us down with cares and anxieties that seem unbearable. We’re cruising along thinking life’s a breeze, then boom! All of a sudden we’re overwhelmed. It might be a serious health problem, a troubled child, challenges at work, seemingly insurmountable financial issues, marital strife, or other personal struggles.

So what can we do? We might elect to “suck it up” or, at the urging of an unsympathetic family member or friend, “just deal with it.” And we try. But when the difficulty refuses to go away its weight becomes heavier, eventually so oppressive that we feel paralyzed, clueless concerning what to do – or what can be done. Unlike a glass of water you can put down if it gets too heavy, many of life’s challenges can’t just be set aside.

The good news is we don’t have to carry the weight alone. And we shouldn’t. God and true friends are more than willing to help in shouldering the burden. In fact, that’s exactly what Jesus told His followers: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).

In the Old Testament we find the same assurance: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22). And the apostle Peter affirmed this promise when he wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

At the same time, just as parts of the body support and contribute to the health of other parts, we as followers of Christ are called to support one another. As Galatians 6:2 instructs, “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

One of my favorite passages from the Scriptures expands on that idea. Hebrews 10:24-25 admonishes, “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

What’s in your “glass”? Have you been carrying it around for so long the weight has become almost too much to bear? Swallow your pride, humble yourself, and share the burden with someone else. They might not be able to solve your problem, but at the very least they can pray with you. They can remind you of God’s love and faithfulness, and share the load, at least emotionally. And who knows? They might even offer some ideas you haven’t considered that could prove helpful in some way.