But God

Usually when I say the words “but God” it sounds a little like this:

“But God, I don’t want to go hang out with that person. It’s exhausting.”

“But God, I’m so tired. Getting up early to read the Bible is too much work.”

“But God, this situation is awful. There’s nothing good that can come out of this.”

“But God, my dream sounds really impossible and it’s getting harder by the day. Can’t I just give up?”

Bleck. It’s all about me and how things make me feel and how much I don’t want to do stuff. Is that really what I want my Christian walk to be defined by? Do I really want to look back on my relationship with my Savior and remember all the excuses I made? The truth is, I really do want the best for my relationship with God, but I don’t really act like it sometimes. The truth is, there’s a different way to look at those things I’m always saying to God. And the truth is, I have a choice in how I think about these things.

It’s not really about what I do or don’t want to do, or how I feel about them. It’s about God, carrying out His purposes through me and using me…in spite of my attitude.

So instead, I can start saying:

“I don’t want to go hang out with that person. But God loves her, and has given me this opportunity, so I’m going to pray for joy in this situation.”

“I’m really tired and I don’t feel like reading my Bible today. But God gives strength, and He’s able to give that to me.”

“This situation is really awful. But God works all things for good for those who love Him, so I’m going to trust that He has a plan for this.”

And

“My dream sounds impossible right now. But God does great things in situations that seem impossible, so I’m going to watch Him work.”

I tend to make a lot of excuses. And life is hard. But the really great thing is that God specializes in those “but God” times…It may feel like everything’s crashing down around you, BUT GOD is still there and working everything out.

Ashley Mays is the former Editorial Assistant for Brio and Brio & Beyond magazines and currently writes her own fiction for teens. She enjoys rock climbing, people watching in airports, and expanding her shoe collection. Ashley lives with her husband in Colorado. No, they don't ski. Learn more about Ashley on facebook or on her website: http://www.ashley-mays.com/.