Thank You…But…
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
My husband thanked me this morning for something I had said in an earlier conversation. I’ve no doubt of his sincerity. I’m confident that he loves and respects me. His words of thanks brought a glow to my heart…until — with hardly a breath between the words of thanks and the next phrase — he added, “but…??? What followed were not words of spite or disdain, but simply what he considered to be a flaw in my attitude. The glow evaporated as quickly as a wisp of smoke, and although I didn’t verbally respond (I am slowly learning to bridle my tongue!), those “but words??? roiled within until I could later totally relinquish them to God and thus regain a sense of peace.
And then I thought, “How often do I speak ‘but words’ to my Heavenly Father?” I express gratitude for His great gifts, but quickly add, “but couldn’t You do a little more???? Or I say thanks that He has promised to never leave or forsake me, then add, “but I want to feel Your presence.??? God will be pleased when both my words and my inner attitude express contentment with His will.
Prayer: Help me, Lord, to be honest and simple before You so that my words and my attitude express trust in who You are and how You lead.
About the Author: This devotional was written by Marilyn Ehle. Learn more about Marilyn: http://www.talk.thelife.com/authors/marilyn-ehle/
Going Deeper
1. Consider these questions: God invites us to come to Him, boldly, honestly; so what do we do with the “but words” when they surface in our hearts? Should we ask for more of God’s gifts and a greater sense of His presence? Why or why not? How can we express our thanks to God wholeheartedly?
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Each one of us will of course react differently to messages in devotions like this. Some diffensive while others take it as a lesson to be leant. It has been like a nail in the head for me. As my husband has always been telling me that I seem to be a very nice person BUT…, my attitude about knowing everything is something I really need to change. I protest many times that it is he that needs an attitude-change NOT ME! So there,…I am very thankful of this devotion as it has got me thinking. May God help me and also all like me.
I am so guilty of using that “But” word. I plan to work on not using it and see what happens.
You know I understand that using the “BUT” word is not the best. I also know that God does understand and wants us to be real. He understands when we say “BUT”. I am struggling emotionally really bad right now so I just say things how I feel, even if it means saying the word “BUT”. Just being real!!!!!
This devotional really spoke to me. I think I am awful at using that “but” word. With my husband and my Heavenly Father. I am very guilty of commending my husband with a “but” sentence to follow. We are going through a small rough patch, and I have been asking the Lord to show me small ways to move in the right direction. I believe this devotional is one. Ladies, you are in my prayers today, as I know Monday can be stressful and hectic.
Words can be so uplifting and so hurtful. We have to be so careful that we do not offend. Just yesterday I received an e-mail from my accountability partner, telling me that she felt my attitude was not good. This hurt, because the words I said were said in haste, in an attempt to be humerous, yet she was offended by them. I have asked myself if I truly did mean them, if my attitude is wrong, and am trying to evaluate my attitude, and leave the hurt behind. To give it to God, and move on. So the devotional this morning was especially important to me. I am not angry at my partner, I chose her because she is so absolutely truthful.
I believe that God wants us to come to Him with all of our petitions and requests. Jesus tell us we have not because we ask not. The key is that as Paul was, we must learn to be content in whatever situation we are in, that’s a tough one! Our attitude about what we are asking for is what makes the difference.
Words. I think it is great that you were able to relinguish your husband’s hurtful words to God. That is not easy to do. My husband is a good person. He takes excellent care of our family. But he has said some hurtful things through the years. I can forgive, but it’s much harder to forget those words and they need to be forgotten and given over. Kudos to you. I’m not sure I could have kept my tongue. At some point, he would need to know the hurt so he would not do the same thing again, wouldn’t he? Unless it was something you agree that you needed to know?