Read Romans 12:21

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 as I should."
"I just can't give up the affair I'm having."
"I can't stop overeating."
"I can't find time to pray."

Any Christian who takes the Bible seriously will have to agree the word here really should be "won't." Why? Because we have been given the power, the ability to overcome. Literally!

Any good psychiatrist knows that "I can't" and "I've tried" are merely lame excuses.

We're really saying, "I won't," because we don't choose to say, "With the help of God, I will!"

Now, go back and change all those "can'ts" on that internal list you carry around to "won’ts" and see how that makes you feel about yourself. Not very good, huh?

It's the same as "choosing" to disobey. Today you can choose to be an "I will" person.

An excuse has been defined as the skin of reason stuffed with a lie. (Michael Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching)

Excerpted from Day by Day with Charles Swindoll, Copyright © 2000 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.