I Just Can’t Help It

”For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” –Acts 4:20

One of the greatest excuses in life is “I can’t help it.” I’m guilty of saying it often. We overeat, we overreact, we overdo it and we say, “well, I just can’t help it, that’s just how I am.” Even worse, we’ll say, “I just can’t help it, that’s just how God made me.” Here’s a new challenge: Let’s use the phrase “I can’t help it” in a good way.

Jeremiah once decided that he wanted to quit preaching because of all the persecution. He got fed up with being mocked as a fool and shouted to God, “I quit!” He goes on to say, “but His Word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay (hold it in any longer).”

Peter and Jeremiah had something in common – they couldn’t help speaking out for God. They couldn’t stop themselves. They had the juiciest (and best) news of history and they couldn’t wait to tell the world. Why is it that so often we have just the news our neighbor needs but we decide to turn our conversation to more trivial things?

If Jesus has really saved us, if He will really save others as well, then let us find the boldness of the indwelling Holy Spirit and let us speak loudly. Let us shout it from the rooftop that Jesus saves!