BIG buts
There are a lot of BUTs in the bible.
It seems that God likes BIG BUTs and He cannot lie.
BUT is a word that changes everything.
Some words are wimpy…words like blah or lame.
Some words just sound gross…words like moist or mucus.
But, BUT (see what I did there?) is a strong word.
It changes everything.
We were going one direction BUT we turned around.
Jesus said the word BUT a lot.
He used it to change things.
Over and over He used the word to change the rules…
“You have heard it said…WAAAH…WAAAH…WAAAH.
BUT, I tell you…BOOM!”
Jesus lowered the BOOM with the BUT!
You will find a lot of His BUTs in one place, the book of Matthew in the New Testament of the Bible.
I can picture the Disciples listening to Jesus talk.
Suddenly they would start to snicker and snort like a group of dudes can sometimes do…
“He said BUT!!”
Matthew wrote it down.
Here are some BIG BUTs…
Matthew 5:43-44: “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. BUT I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
BOOM! There goes the BUT! Love your enemies! Pray for the bullies. That is a serious game (and heart) changer. It’s so much easier to love the people that you like, BUT we are told to sing love songs for our enemies.
Matthew 6:31-33: “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, BUT your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
BOOM! There goes the BUT! It’s so easy to get caught up in worry about stuff. BUT, because we are His kids, God has promised to take care of us. We might not always understand how He is taking care of us, BUT we can always trust that He will. He is our sustainer and the scripter of our seasons.
Matthew 10:32-33: “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. BUT everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”
BOOM! There goes the BUT! Make noise about who Jesus is on earth and He will make noise about who you are in Heaven…pretty simple.
Matthew 16:25: “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. BUT if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”
BOOM! There goes the BUT! The Kingdom is all upside down, actually its right-side up, and everything else is upside down. The way to find is to lose!
Matthew 20:25-26: “BUT Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. BUT among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.”
BOOM! There goes the BUT! Crazy leadership advice!! Totally contrary to what most leadership books say. You want to be great, lose yourself. Serve. Life is like a limbo game. How low can you go?
How about this one…
You have heard this isn’t good…
BUT, GOD says I AM GOOD…SO VERY GOOD.
People say one thing, BUT God gets the final word.
You are __________. Fill in the blank…poor, sick, lost, broken, ugly, fat, skinny, stupid, unskilled, not enough, etc.
BUT, God says you are MINE…that makes you enough.
The BUTs fill in the blanks in our lives!
BUTs change everything!
When you are at the bottom of your life…run to the BUT.
Whatever you are going through, please realize that one carefully placed BUT from God can change your situation.
You thought you were unloved, BUT…
You thought you were alone, BUT…
You thought you were hopeless, BUT…
You thought you were damaged beyond repair, BUT…
You thought you were done, BUT…
A big BUT changes everything.
Don’t give up, God is covering your but.
Get a but load of God.
Here’s a bonus BUT from the Old Testament, that will never be put on an inspirational coffee cup:
Psalm 103:14 says “we are BUT dust”.
Think about that.
carbonated joy 