Has this ever happened to you? A friend tells you he’s lost his job due to downsizing. Now he can’t pay his mortgage and fears losing his home. You want to help, but you don’t have thousands of dollars. The problem feels too big, and you think, There’s nothing I can do but sympathize.
Another friend gets into a car accident. Her car is totaled, she has no transportation, and she’s overwhelmed waiting for the insurance company to work things out. Someone else is diagnosed with leukemia. Your heart breaks, but again you wonder, What can I do? A coworker comes to the office distraught because their furnace quit and they need a new one. You certainly don’t have that kind of money. So you ask yourself again: What can I do? Nothing?
We are often surrounded by people with oversized problems—problems that feel too big for us to make any meaningful difference. And because we can’t solve the whole thing, many of us end up doing nothing at all. Most people live with an “all or nothing” mentality.
But here’s the truth: God is mighty, and He loves to multiply small acts of obedience. Our willingness to do something—anything—paired with faith in God to do what we cannot, often opens the door to powerful expressions of His love. Sometimes it even opens the door to miracles.
There is a verse that changed my thinking in a profound way. It reshaped how I approach people in crisis. It’s found in 2 Corinthians 8:10–11 (MSG): “…Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t.” I love that phrase: “Do what you can, not what you can’t.” When we do what we can, and ask God to do what we can’t, Heaven gets involved. That’s where God’s plan begins to unfold.
There is a beautiful example of this in Scripture. In the story of Jesus’ birth, we read: Luke 2:7 (NKJV) says, “And she brought forth her firstborn Son… and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” From that simple line, we picture an innkeeper whose rooms were completely full because travelers had packed the town for the census. Mary was about to give birth, and Joseph was desperate for help.
The innkeeper had no vacancy—nothing he could fix. But instead of saying, “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do,” he shifted from an “all-or-nothing” mindset to, “Here is what I can do.” He offered them the stable. No, it wasn’t a proper room. But it was something—and that “something” became part of the most magnificent event in history. His small gesture played a part in the unfolding plan of God because he did what he could, and God did the rest.
We all know what we can’t do. The question is: What can you do? Can you share a scripture with a discouraged friend and pray with them? Can you give someone a $10 coffee card with a note reminding them they’re not alone? Can you make a meal or drop off a plate of cookies? Can you be a patient listener to someone whose heart is overwhelmed? Can you take their hand and sincerely pray with them?
These things may feel small, but they are not insignificant. They are acts of love that invite God’s power into someone’s crisis. When you begin approaching needs with this mindset—What can I do?—and pray for God to do His part, you will see change, healing, encouragement, provision, and hope spring up in people’s lives. You stop focusing on what you can’t do and instead open the door to what God can do.
If this speaks to your heart, then the next time someone near you needs help, pause and pray: “Lord, please show me what I can do.” Even if all you can give is encouragement and sincere prayer, never underestimate its power. Heartfelt intercession is one of the greatest gifts you can offer.
When you learn to think in terms of what you can do instead of what you can’t, both you and the people around you will be blessed. And you’ll become a different kind of person—one God can use again and again.
2 Corinthians 8:10–11 (MSG) says it perfectly: “…Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t.”
Do what you can.
Let God do what you can’t.
And watch Him work.
