Impossible Tasks

One of my favourite chapters in the Rule of St. Benedict is titled, “If a Brother Is Commanded to Do Impossible Things.” There are times in our experience when our perceived responsibilities seem to extend far beyond what we think we can reasonably accomplish.




“If it happens that difficult or impossible tasks are laid on a brother, let him nevertheless receive the order of the one in authority with all meekness and obedience. But if he sees that the weight of the burden altogether exceeds the limit of his strength, let him submit the reasons for his inability to the one who is over him in a quiet way and at an opportune time, without pride, resistance, or contradiction. And if after these representations the Superior still persists in his decision and command, let the subject know that this is for his good, and let him obey out of love, trusting in the help of God” (The Rule of St. Benedict, Chapter 68).

There are times when the burden of the day seems more than I can bear; the difficulty being twofold. First, two or three tasks are pressing and foremost in my mind, but I have not objectified the “Do List,” and what I end up doing is fretting over them instead of strategizing what needs to be done. Second, I don’t recognize the limit of what ought to be done in a day. Yesterday’s tasks, done, or not done, are past. A few of them migrate onto today’s Do List. Some of them, it turns out, didn’t really need to be done, or at least, not by me. Tomorrow’s tasks cannot be accomplished today; they perhaps can be scheduled, and at best organized. The latter, if done too soon, may be a useless spinning of wheels; when tomorrows task becomes today’s task, the organization is often more effective.

There is another important element that needs to be recognized. It is important to live with a mixture of courage and forgiveness. Benedict allows for our weakness by allowing us to acknowledge what we think are our reasons for not being able to accomplish a task. The recognition of personal limitations is after all a basic principle in spirituality. The psalmist says, “I am a man who has no strength. I am shut in so that I cannot escape. I am helpless” (Psalm 88:4, 8, 15 ESV, RSV).

We, however, have a tendency to be very hard on ourselves, and even though personal limitations are not sin, we need to hold ourselves in forgiveness; forgiveness for the vaguer guilt of not being able to live up to our own expectations of ourselves, or the expectations of others. This must be balanced by the recognition that God gives strength above and far beyond our limited abilities. The psalmist also says, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle” (Psalm 144:1).

Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, calls us to respond to the challenge of each day with courage. Benedict recommends that we meet the challenge of the day out of love, trusting in the help of God. Hear the word of the Lord, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). Be clear about this simple reality, the Lord is with you; take courage as you go forth to meet the labours of the day.

Impossible Tasks

One of the hardest things we have to learn is the extent of our own capabilities. Several factors come into play: our strength, our health, our understanding, timing, circumstances, and the countless variables inherent in other people in the midst of whom we are called to do our ministries. It is with full awareness of his limitations [probably health issues] that St. Paul hears the words of Christ spoken in his ear "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" [2 Corinthians 12:9].

The bedrock of all spiritual grace is the essential helplessness that we share as human beings. Psalm 88, one of the glummest psalms in the entire Psalter, has three spiritual truths that lay a new foundation. v. 4b "I am a man who has no strength," v. 8b "I am shut in so that I cannot escape." v. 12:c, and "I am helpless." Time and again we will come back to this starting place; the acknowledgement of our essential helplessness before God and humbly surrender to Him, who loves us so that He surrendered all, that we might be complete in Him. Only from that starting place can we go forward. While we are not called to go forward in our own strength, we are called to go forward in His strength. What He demands of us is sometimes more, and sometimes less than what we demand of ourselves. This is where healthy authority relationships can come into play. We are not always the best judge of our own capabilities.

St. Benedict writes:

“If it happens that difficult or impossible tasks are laid on a brother, let him nevertheless receive the order of the one in authority with all meekness and obedience. But if he sees that the weight of the burden altogether exceeds the limit of his strength, let him submit the reasons for his inability to the one who is over him in a quiet way and at an opportune time, without pride, resistance, or contradiction. And if after these representations the Superior still persists in his decision and command, let the subject know that this is for his good, and let him obey out of love, trusting in the help of God.” Chapter 68 Rule of St. Benedict

God is more clearly aware of our limitations than we are and often challenges us above what we think our limitations will allow. Often he will do that through those who exercise godly authority over us. He does this in part that we might learn to lean on Him and not on our own strength, and also in part that we might grow in grace and competence through the power of His Spirit with us.