Friday, August 20, 2010

But...

People always live after the but. The word, I mean: but. Go out and listen to people talk. Everyone lives after the but, whether they are Christians or not. I don't care what they say first, before the but. It's after the but that you hear what they really believe....

You're always living after the but. Unfortunately, Christians typically put the wrong things before and after the but. We put the God stuff before the but and our situation or feelings after the but. We say things like:

Well, I know God loves me, but it doesn't seem like it. Everything is falling apart.”

“I know God is my sufficiency, but I don't really have what I need.”

“I know that God promised me wisdom, but all I have is confusion.”

You do that, and where are you living? You're living in the junk. You're living in the circumstance. It's got you. The only thing you can hope for is a change in the circumstance. And if that doesn't come, you're up a creek. But even if it does, you still haven't learned to live out of the life of God within you. Satan doesn't care how much God-talk we use, as long as we put it before the but.— The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out, pages 183-184

<idle musing>
Ain't it the truth. After reading this, I started listening for the but in people's conversation; it was quite enlightening—and depressing. Put the right stuff before the but and enjoy life that is independent of circumstances and dependent on God!
</idle musing>

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