Got “But?”

When my “but” gets in the way

“Live-Free Thursdays”

 

When my “but” gets in the way…………..

Opportunity knocks at the door, fear keeps the door closed. Doubts creep in the mind, fear increases the doubts and anxiety preventing the opening of the door.

Beloved, what are the “buts” in your life?  The “buts” in my life range from legitimate to illegitimate excuses. The legitimate “buts” that side track me is illness. Plagued with illness the “buts” are migraine headaches, knee and back pain. Additionally, before 2012, obesity limited my participation in many activities. Some days a vice-gripping headache prevented me from serving and I count this as a legitimate excuse.

However, there are times when illegitimate excuses stop me from serving. What are those “buts” commonly known as excuses? One of the biggest “buts’ is procrastination. My mother used to say, “Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today.” Beloved, are you familiar with procrastination. The “P” word often prevents me from getting out of bed on time, the result is reading God’s word and praying is done later. The “P” word prevents me from going to church. Procrastination prevents me from writing. I usually have to renounce procrastination as a tool of the enemy to keep me in bondage. Another excuse is fatigue. Fatigue is a big “but”. Beloved can you relate to working all day and then not having the energy to do one more thing? Lastly, another “but” is what I call, “I have a case of I don’t want to.” Usually this is just plain old stubbornness. Have you ever been stubborn?

I would be remiss if I did not share when fear has been my “but.”  Fear and anxiety seem to go hand in hand. As an encourager in a ministry at my church, Freedom in Christ, I am learning and helping others learn that fear is not a “but” in your life. According to Neil Anderson in the Steps To Freedom booklet, 

Fear is a God-given natural response when our physical or psychological safety is threatened. Courage is not the absence of fear, but it is living by faith and doing what is right in the face of illegitimate fear objects. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and the only fear that can overcome all other fears. Irrational fears compel us to live irresponsible lives or prevent us from doing that which is responsible and from being good witnesses. Behind every irrational fear is a lie that must be identified.

Beloved, do you have a fear of failure, a fear of rejection, a fear of disapproval, a fear of embarrassment that may stop you from serving God. What are the lies behind these fears? In the Steps To Freedom there is a prayer,

Dear Heavenly Father, I confess that I have allowed fear to control me and that lack of faith is sin. Thank You for Your forgiveness. I recognize that You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). I renounce any spirit of fear operating in my life and ask You to reveal any and all controlling fears in my life and the lies behind them. I desire to live by faith in You and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus I renounce the fear of _________________________ (name the fears and associated lies) because God has not given me a spirit of fear. I choose to live by faith in You, and I acknowledge You as the only legitimate fear object in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

When I started my blog, I was afraid of rejection.  The lies that I believed are that I am not smart enough, no one will read the blog, God will not use my blog. So my prayer looked like this, “Lord Jesus, I renounce the fear of being rejected, I know this lie of rejection is because I feel inadequate, what is no one reads my blog, what if I get unfavorable comments, I am not smart enough but the truth is I do not have to fear rejection, because you did not give me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind and I can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives me strength.

Once I renounced the fear, my “but” no longer plagues me.  Many of you do not know but I was so afraid of rejection that I wrote incognito under Diana 157 for about 15 months. Then I submitted my weight loss journey to Tracie Miles and I decided to start writing with my name. My blog evolved and I asked a precious friend Barbie Hernandez Swihart to upgrade my blog so I feel good about the looks of my blog. I am a member of Compel and so I am learning from the best. I have online friends that give me help and support. More importantly, I have each of you that read my blog. So, the fear of being rejected is no longer a fear.  God promises that His word will not return void to Him. Isaiah 55: 10-12

Invitation to the Needy
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. “For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

What is your “but”? What fear is holding you back from serving God?

Renounce your fears whether the fear is rational or irrational.  Do not let guilt trip you up. Today is a new day and please remember, [Tweet “Guilt is a useless emotion because I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. “]

Lastly, opportunity knocks at the door and I open the door, I will not let my ‘but’ get in the way because in 2 Corinthians 12:9 says,

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 

The rose in the picture is from a rose bush my mom planted before she died in 1977. In April, I recently visited my dad in Oklahoma, two roses bloomed. If God cares enough to give me two roses, God can do all things and so His purpose for your life and my life will not be thwarted even by our “buts.”  Will you give your “buts” to God?

Father God, Your grace is sufficient to meet all our needs and address all of our “buts”. My weakness is made perfect and we can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives us strength. Thank you God that you care for us and we can give you our fears, our buts, our excuses. You open the doors for us and You are at work around us. You invite us to participate and You deserve all of the credit for our successes. I pray today for the person that is fearful, the one who needs to know that You have a purpose for her pain and that You know her and love her. Father God I give you my procrastination. I give you my buts and thank you that you forgive me for when I have given into procrastination. Lord I ask for blessings for my readers. In Jesus name, Amen.