Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Forget About Your “But”
Some individuals just don’t know how to receive a compliment. For example, I might say, “You look good in that shirt,” and the friend responds, “Thanks, but I didn’t have time to iron it and there’s a button missing.” Or, “You did a great job playing that song,” and the person says, “Are you deaf? I played the first verse right, but I messed up on the second verse.” Or, “You did a fantastic job of driving in the race,” only to hear, “Yeah, but I finished second.” The word “but” is often the beginning of a negative response to a compliment.
Throw your “but” to the wind and do something for God! In the Book of Exodus, God was trying to get Moses to free the Israelites and lead them out of Egypt. “But Moses protested to God, ‘Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?’” (Exodus 3:11 NLT). God told Moses that He would be with him. “But Moses protested…” (Exodus 3:13 NLT). Then God told Moses exactly what to say to the elders of Israel and assured him that they would accept his message. “But Moses protested again…” (Exodus 4:1 NLT). Then God told Moses that the people would believe what he said because of the miraculous signs God would perform through Moses. “But Moses pleaded with the Lord…” (Exodus 4:10 NLT). Then God told Moses that He would be with him as he speaks and would instruct him in what to say. “But Moses again pleaded, ‘Lord, please! Send anyone else.’ Then the Lord became angry with Moses.” We know how the story ends, but it wore me out just to type all of the “buts” of Moses.
God doesn’t like it when all you can think about is your but. When God tells you to do something, He doesn’t want to hear about all your “buts.” There’s no room for any buts in your relationship with God. When believers ridiculously respond to God’s instructions with, “But, God, I’m a woman,” or “But, God, I’m too busy to do that,” or “But God, I don’t know how to do that,” do you really think you’re telling God something He doesn’t already know? Whatever He asks you to do, He’ll equip you to do it (if He hasn’t already done it). Just save your breath if all you’re going to speak are excuses.
Sisera was an enemy to the Israelites and one day during a battle, he knocked on Jael’s (a woman) tent door. She welcomed the exhausted man in, gave him milk to drink, and graciously covered him with a blanket. When he fell asleep, she quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hands. She pounded the peg through his temple and into the ground. He died. This story in Judges chapter 4 contains no “buts” from Jael. She was simply brave and willing to help bring God’s promised victory to the Israelites.
In Judges chapter 6, we find that the Israelites had sinned, so the Lord handed them over to the cruel Midianites for seven years. One day the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and paid him a compliment, “’Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!’ The Lord said, ‘Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!’ ‘But Lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!’ The Lord said to him, ‘I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.’”
As Christ followers our job is to obey not argue.
The Key: When God asks you to do something, leave your “but” out of it and just do it!