CAN – WILL – NOW

More than sixteen years ago a little magazine called “Bits and Pieces” (Published every four weeks by The Economics Press of Fairfield, NJ) contained a note of encouragement focusing on three words: can, will, now. The one-page article was entitled “The Three-Word Success Course”. (January 30, 1997) Though many of the “bits and pieces” of wisdom come from business sources, nearly all are applicable to daily life. Such is the case with these three words.

As individuals most of us have dreams of what could be or at least wish might be. Some dreams are of the fantasy type such as traveling to a distant star. Other dreams are of the get down and get dirty kinds. We look at their possibility and then at the price we would have to pay to make those dreams come true. We decide that the price is too high.

Some dreams are impossibilities. Others are possible but come with too high a price. Then there are those dreams that await our decision to follow that “Three-Word Success Course.” We can. We will. We will do it now.

Learning a foreign language is an example. Writing a book that will make a child’s eyes sparkle with pleasure is one of mine. Such dreams only await the can-will-now attitude.

Then the scenario develops. I know I can do it, but there are other things I want to do more. I will do it, but not right now. Our dreams get pushed to the back until finally we give up and they slip into oblivion.

A church often operates with the same mindset. The Great Commission tells us what we ought to be doing. Too often the first response is that’s impossible. The congregation looks at its setting, its family make-up, its facilities, its material resources, and all the other excuses it can conjure. The conclusion is what God wants us to do is impossible. Let someone else handle it.

A church might go as far as the next step and say the task is possible, but God gave it to someone else. “Not my job” is a commonly heard phrase from both church leaders and the general church membership. The need for the task is recognized. The personal responsibility for getting it done is not.

The procrastination path is what will stop many churches in their tracks. The thinking goes something like this. We know we have been commanded by God to carry out the Great Commission (or whatever other command) and he will meet all our needs. When we feel the time is right, then we will make it a priority.

Why would God ever give us a task for which we are not equipped? Making us look foolish in his eyes because we depended upon him is not God’s modus operandi. The world may laugh at us, but God will only be pleased. No, if God gives us a task to accomplish, he will also have given us all necessary resources. If God says we can, then we can. (Philippians 4:13)

A slogan I love is “If we make ourselves available, God will make us able.” Our lack of availability becomes a challenge for him. We let our agendas get in the way. We let someone else’s agenda get in the way. We let everything else dictate our actions EXCEPT God’s plan. When we decide we will do what God desires, we see his power flow. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“Never do today what you can get someone else to do tomorrow.” Personal dreams have no hope of coming true if we emphasize procrastination. Buenos dias is not such a hard phrase to learn. Having learned it you can congratulate yourself for having started to learn a foreign language. The book is started with the first sentence put on paper. The horticultural hobby begins with a packet of seed and a single flower pot. (Luke 9:59-62)

You can. You will. You will do it now. When you do it for his glory, you just put a big smile on God’s face.

Stuck in Spiritual Molasses

A saying with which I grew up in rural Kentucky was "As slow as molasses in winter". I knew what someone meant even if I didn't like molasses. The best molasses were thick and flowed slowly off the spoon. If it got cold as in the winter, then it didn't flow at all. As a boy there were times I was accused of working at a speed comparable to cold molasses.

What about a Christian's pace of life? What about a church's? In honesty we have to admit there are things, forces, people that slow us down while trying to accomplish what we know we need to be doing especially in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Even if there is a deadline hanging over our heads, we still meet hindrances that don't outright stop us but slow us down to the point we wonder if we will ever reach our goals. Maybe some of these are familiar to you.

Confusion. I can think for two weeks about what the first step ought to be. I can worry for a month about which option is best. I can lose sleep night after night wondering if I really understand what I'm facing. In the meantime nothing is getting done.

Distractions. My energy and focus on this project may be directly proportional to my interest in it. If the interest level is low, a lot of other ideas will want to crowd in and take my attention away.

Fear. If I mess up on this idea, my goose is cooked! If I delay long enough or go slow enough, something else might bail me out and the consequences won't be nearly as bad.

Ignorance. I don't know what to do and I'm not sure where to get the answers to my questions.

Lack of assurance. It might not be outright fear, but there is enough uneasiness about what is supposed to happen that caution reigns and action proceeds at a snail's pace (or cold molasses).

Lack of resources. The project could have been done in one tenth of the time except for having to gather scattered resources, proper tools, and trained personnel.

These hindrances are just as true of a church and an association as they are of an individual in the effort to carry out the Great Commission both as a task and as a lifestyle. Oftentimes we will use the same kind of excuses to get ourselves off the hook, just on a larger scale.

Distractions have to be handled. Proper prioritization can minimize distractions. Determining realistic deadlines and holding to them will minimize the damage of distractions. Being able to say "no" to non essentials is one of the best ways to keep distractions from hindering the work of the Great Commission.

Confusion, fear, and lack of assurance often go together. Many leadership gurus will say that some of the best learning takes place through failing. You may fail on that first step; that is not failure. You have eliminated one of the options. Now start again with this new knowledge. Tell those people who laugh or criticize when you fail to get in there and help or get out of the way!

"Ignorance is curable, while stupidity is forever" is one of my favorite proverbs. Ask the necessary questions up front, get the information you need, and then full steam ahead. If information is all you lack, the masses are waiting to provide it. Most people are ready to cheer on a hard worker.

A lack of resources is a challenge, not a problem. Before you start, as an individual or a church or an association, get a good idea of what you need. Put it together, whether it is material or a team, and then start. Accept the fact that adjustments will have to be made while progress is being made, just work to keep the progress from stopping.

Another name for all these hindrances might at times be procrastination. Don't let cold molasses destroy a good idea and your efforts to fulfill the Great Commission!