We have the freedom and capability to do many things. But just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. And we need wisdom to discern between the freedom to do something and it being the right thing to do in this moment.
Certainly, this plays out in parenting and any position of leadership. In many ways, things are easier when we just do it ourselves. And it can also be hard to watch others suffer when it’s within our power to relieve them. As such, it’s very tempting to step in and do things for our kids or employees that they should be doing for themselves. This can be from a genuine heart to minimize the stress and struggle for everyone. But just because we can step in doesn’t mean we should.
We rob others of their agency and growth into maturity when we take on their responsibilities as our own. Even in terms of pain, there’s a necessary suffering we must go through to grow. And we’re not helping others in the long run when we try to save them from these hardships. We can spare them but we shouldn’t because this is their path of learning and growth.
Immaturity and pride are likely the culprits when we keep doing things simply because we can. To be sure, children are still learning how to reason and consider long-term consequences. They climb on the furniture and jump off just because they can. And we’re acting with the same immaturity when we don’t stop to consider if this is the best course of action.
In the same way, pride causes us to conflate our ability with our responsibility – leading us to believe we’re the only ones truly capable of doing certain tasks, and therefore should be the ones to do it.
In the end, take wisdom with you as you discern between what you can do and what you should do. This distinction blesses you and everyone around as well.
Photo by Amine Bashir on Unsplash
