It is well you have a heart to discharge
every duty; yet if God disable you by providence, it is no discredit to your
profession that you do not that which you cannot do, so long as it is your
desire and endeavor to do what you can and ought to do; and in this case God’s
will is, that lenity and forbearance be toward you.
Flavel, John
(2010-08-03). Keeping the Heart
(Kindle
Locations 777-779). . Kindle Edition.
If you cannot, it ceases to be your
duty, and God accepts the drawing out of your soul to the hungry in compassion
and desire to help them, though you cannot draw forth a full purse to
relieve and supply them.
Flavel, John
(2010-08-03). Keeping the Heart
(Kindle Locations 780-782). . Kindle Edition.
Ever noticed of heard of a need that just touched your
heart? Ever been tempted to rush to
assist? Ever wanted to perform some work
of ministry but not been able to? Ever
been prevented from performing some spiritual duty by want or circumstance?
Contrary to the stereo-type the Puritans understood that
sometimes the desire of our heart outstrips our ability and/or availability. “Want to,” and “can’t” brings you no fault
before God. At times He even works His
providence so that we “can’t” follow or fulfill the honorable stirrings of our
hearts. He is please when we ache to do
good and yet wisely know we are not able.
“If only,” is not always a work/thought that comes from our
flesh. Often God prompts our hearts and
hinders our ability to root the desire and compassion in our hearts. Often He does this to make us more sensitive
or show us our former lack of sensitivity.
Often he does this to show us what we might have done had we been better
stewards of previous blessings.
Now that last one I know – up close and personal. It has taught me, better than anything else
that what He provides to me isn’t always for me. Whether it’s blessings of buffetings I have
learned that they must be held close in the heart and lifted up in prayer so we
might wisely make use of them. Formalism,
even in giving and meeting needs may indicate a narrow heart and a need for
spiritual insight.
When we are moved to act but find we “can’t,” God may be
telling us “No,” or “Not yet.” But we
need to rejoice in the fact that He has acted in our lives to enliven our
compassions and commitment. A “can’t”
may just be a “can,” delayed.
A friend once shared his method of stewardship with me. His view was that everything God gave him was
his (my friend’s). It was a gift. But not everything God gave him was for him. So he felt his obligations was to use only
what he needed for his care and all the rest was for him to use for God’s work. He also believed that he needed to not be
miserly but to operate with a prayerful frugality when it came to meeting the
needs of his family.
The blessing of this wasn’t really his ability to provide
for God’s work. The blessing was that
every penny provoked prayer. Every
purchase was examined prayerfully.
Another blessing of this was that his (and his family’s) “giving” was
exciting and encouraging to them, not to mention how it increased their prayer
lives.
“Can’t” isn’t a dirty word, it’s just a fact. “Should,” when it results in mere formality
in any aspect of our walk is a dirty work.
Formalism is the result of a narrow mind and a narrow heart. (Sorry for the bunny trail here).
Pray about this:
“yet if God disable you by providence, it is no discredit to
your profession that you do not that which you cannot do, so long as it is your
desire and endeavor to do what you can and ought to do;” Flavel
We love to quote:
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Php 4:13
First, please go and read the CONTEXT of that statement.
Second, do not be so presumptuous as to assume He desires
you to do “all things.”
Yet,
“Whatever you do,
in word or deed, do everything in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Col 3:17
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