Yeah, but...

“Yeah, but…”

The arguments start to form in my mind before the speaker finishes.  I call them the ‘yeah, buts.’  It happens when I hear something that seems true, which  I do not like or some idea that pushes me toward some unwanted change. “Yes, but…” is sometimes the response where it would be better to say, “I am going to have to really consider that.”  It is important, for me, for you, to remember that growth ceases when learning stops. When we are no longer willing to grow, we also become less and less effective in meeting the challenges of life.

When God speaks into your life, how do you respond?  Do you say, “Yes, but…” or “Yes, Lord!”?

Jesus told this story to encourage us to receive the Truth so that He could make us most productive. “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mark 4:3-9, NKJV)

He explained later that He spoke of God’s Truth.  When we hear it; be it from the Spirit’s whisper, the preacher’s sermon, or reading our Bible, it is like a seed.  It has all the potential of life and a future harvest locked in it. However, the soil into which it falls determines the outcome.

If we are too pre-occupied with Self or have a stubborn heart, the seed never even germinates. It’s lost, bird food!

If we get all excited, tell everybody about this wonderful new discovery, but refuse to practice disciplines of application, the seedlings dies prematurely.

If we receive the truth and try to hang onto life as we know and love it, without change, it cannot mature because it will not compete with our many distractions.

When we love the Truth, embrace it without “Yes, buts…” and do the spadework of application, something amazing happens. It grows, matures, and produces a great harvest from which many benefit. Acts 10 tells us a story of Peter and harvest.  Like just about every Jesus follower at that time, Peter was convinced that to be a Christian you had to adopt the practices of Judaism: the Sabbath, circumcision, kosher diets, observance of holy days and feasts.  Then, the Spirit gave him a daydream. "He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:10-15, NIV)  Inconsequential? Not at all! God used that dream to prepare Peter to go to a Roman centurion’s home where he shared the Gospel, saw that household converted and filled with the Holy Spirit! When the Jewish Believers heard about this, they criticized Peter. But, his obedience and experience prepared him to meet the challenge. The direction of Christianity changed with this summary line in Acts 11 - "When the others heard this, all their objections were answered and they began praising God. They said, “God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of turning from sin and receiving eternal life.” (Acts 11:18, NLT)   What if Peter had met the Lord’s word with “Yeah, but…”?

What Is God, the Spirit, saying to you today?

May your response be like the boy Samuel who was counseled to receive the truth openly. Here’s the word from the Word.

"God called again, “Samuel!”—the third time!
Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.”
That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy.
So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.’ ”

Samuel returned to his bed. Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” (1 Samuel 3:8-10, The Message)