For many of us, we know what the Bible says. We know how we should apply it in our lives. The only thing that holds us back is the little word BUT. How many times have we quoted scripture and then tacked BUT to the end of it? How many times have we said, “I know I should do it, BUT…”? How many sermons have we heard where the preacher has strongly pronounced the Word of God and then followed it with BUT?

The problem is often evident at the very beginning of our spiritual walk. Many people will find themselves at the judgment saying, “I knew I should have accepted Jesus, BUT…”. This is the most tragic of all qualifiers. The excuse may be, “I thought I had more time” or “I wanted to have more fun” or “ I was worried about what others would think”. Regardless of the reason, the result will be devastating.

How many times have we heard from others or ourselves, “I know I should have responded to the message, BUT…”? How about, “I believe God spoke to me, BUT…”? These BUTS paralyze us. They keep us from moving forward in the direction God is calling us. Sometimes the greatest weapon the enemy has is to just keep us stationary. We have to understand that salvation is a journey and the easiest way to thwart God’s plan for our life is to stop us from moving forward.

Perhaps the most dangerous BUT we face as Christians is the BUT we hang at the end of scripture. Sometimes it’s in our personal life and other times when speak the Word of God to others. If God didn’t put a qualifier after it then we shouldn’t either. Look at the list below and see how many more Bible truths you can come up with that we usually follow with a BUT.

I know I should love my neighbor, BUT…

I know God said He will provide for us, BUT…

By Jesus stripes we are healed, BUT…

I know I’m forgiven, BUT….

We can’t serve God and money, BUT…

It is more blessed to give than receive, BUT…

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you, BUT…

We should esteem others higher than ourselves, BUT…

The love of money is the root of all evil, BUT…

I should love my enemy, BUT…

I should put God first, BUT…

I should rejoice when my Faith is tested, BUT…

This list could go on for a very long time. I believe if we will get our BUT out of God’s way, He will do things that we can’t even imagine in our lives and the lives of those around us.