You hear the compliment
and for a split second you smile,
because then you hear
the dreaded
BUT!
You look great~
BUT!
You are doing such a great job
BUT!
I love you~
BUT!
Oh the power of the three letter word~
BUT
that changes unconditional to conditional.
So you plea your case.
So you try harder.
BUT
it is never enough
so that must mean that
you will be never enough
to be
loved.
BUT GOD
did something about it
& uses the power of the
BUT
to erase everything ~
"BUT GOD
being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us,
even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins,
He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ
(for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment)"(Ephesians 2:4-5)
Let's no longer be afraid of the dreaded
BUT
because it does change everything~
"There is no fear in love [dread does not exist],
BUT
full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors & expels every trace of terror!
For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, & [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]" (1 John 4:18)
All because
GOD DID SAY
I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER~
"For the wages of sin is death,
BUT
the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers]
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23)