Stop “kicking the can down the road” and face your problems with courage and conviction …

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It’s a familiar scenario: you see the problem, feel its weight, and know it won’t fix itself. Yet, instead of addressing it, you push it aside for another day — a day that rarely comes. This habit, often described as “kicking the can down the road,” is not just an individual failing. It’s a pattern found in relationships, workplaces, and sadly, even churches.

The trouble with “kicking the can down the road” is that it never solves the problem. Instead, it allows issues to grow, relationships to fray, and wounds to deepen. Whether it’s a personal sin, a harmful habit, a leadership weakness, or a church-wide dysfunction, ignoring problems doesn’t make them go away. It makes them worse.

Take, for example, a church struggling with gossip among its members. Everyone knows it’s happening, but no one wants to address it because it might ruffle feathers. The result? A culture of distrust spreads, undermining relationships and spiritual growth. Or consider an individual wrestling with a recurring sin, like anger. Instead of seeking help, they justify their behavior or promise themselves they’ll deal with it “someday.”

The longer we avoid dealing with these issues, the harder they become to confront. What starts as a small habit or grievance snowballs into something that feels insurmountable.

WHY DO WE KICK THE CAN?

    • Fear of conflict: Addressing problems often means confronting uncomfortable truths, whether in ourselves or others. Many would rather avoid conflict than face it head-on.
    • Busyness: Both individuals and churches are often so consumed by daily responsibilities that addressing deeper issues feels like a luxury they can’t afford.
    • Irrationally hope it will disappear: Sometimes we convince ourselves that if we ignore a problem, it will resolve itself. This rarely happens.
    • Pride: Admitting a problem — especially for leaders — can feel like admitting failure.
    • Lack of faith: Ultimately, “kicking the can down the road” reflects a lack of trust in God’s ability to work through difficult situations for His glory and our good.

THE HIGH COST OF AVOIDANCE
Prolonged avoidance can have devastating consequences:

    • For individuals: Ignored sin or dysfunction can lead to broken relationships, spiritual stagnation, or even a hardened heart. Hebrews 3:13 warns us not to let sin “deceive and harden” us.
    • For churches: Problems like unresolved conflict, moral failings, or leadership weaknesses can undermine a church’s witness, hinder its mission, and hurt its members.

The Apostle Paul warned against this in 1 Corinthians 5, where he rebuked the church for tolerating sin instead of addressing it. His message was clear: deal with sin and dysfunction decisively, or it will corrupt the entire body.

HOW TO STOP KICKING THE CAN FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD
1. Acknowledge the problem. The first step to resolution is recognizing and admitting there’s an issue. As individuals, this means praying Psalm 139:23-24, asking God to search our hearts and reveal any offensive ways in us. For churches, it means fostering a culture of humility and openness where concerns can be raised without fear and with full truthfulness.

2. Seek wisdom and courage. James 1:5 promises that God will generously give wisdom to those who ask. Facing problems requires both wisdom to know the right course and courage to follow through.

3. Act decisively. Once the issue is clear, take action. This might mean confessing a sin, seeking counseling, or having hard conversations. In churches, it may require restructuring, confronting unhealthy leadership, or addressing sin in the congregation. Churches might also need to seek help, much like individuals seeking counseling, by reaching out to a church consultant with ministry experience and expertise. These consultants can help identify root causes, mediate conflicts, and develop a practical way forward.

4. Trust God with the outcome. Fear often paralyzes us, but as 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline. Trust that God will honor your obedience and bring healing and restoration.

As the writer of Hebrews exhorts, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

Stop kicking the can. Face the issues. And trust God to guide you into a future of greater health, holiness, and hope.

Scotty