“But, God, I have done this, and I have done that.”

I’m sure most of us, if not all of us, have said this at some point to God. Your this and your that may be different, but we all start out with a “But, God…” We try to explain to God how he can’t use us, or we will try to explain to God how he can’t possibly forgive us. Or, sometimes, we even tell God that we don’t want to be used. But, at some point, we will say, “But, God…”

I can remember the first time I was asked to lead a Sunday School class. The youth pastor came to me and said, “The seventh grade boys need a teacher. Can you do it?”

I told him no at first. I felt like there was no way God could use me, or would even want to, after all the things I had done. The youth pastor told me not to worry about it, that it would be easy, and to just try it for a little while. So, reluctantly, I said yes.

I loved it, but every Sunday before class I would get scared because I knew that, at some point, the kids would ask me questions about myself. I didn’t want that, because I have a pretty rough past, and I didn’t want them to know that I wasn’t perfect. I would pray, “But, God, what if they ask about this? But God, I’m struggling in my own walk! But, God, I’m not perfect. But, God, what if…?” And so on. I would make myself sick.

But God came in and started work in me and helped me to see that I can’t do, but God can. I can’t be perfect, but God can. I can’t get rid of my fear, but God can. I can’t use my past mistakes, but God can. You see, I think one of our biggest issues in moving forward in our walk with Christ is that we spend too much time saying, “But, God, what about this or that?” and not enough time listening to him.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
— Ephesians 2:4–5

I’m not sure where you are in your walk with Christ, but what I do know is that God doesn’t look at you the way that you do. If you are a believer, know that God has a lot of but God statements for you! You may fail, but God has forgiven you. You may feel useless, but God can and will still use you! You may be scared, but God will cast out all fear! When the enemy tells you that you’re not good enough, that you can’t be used, or that you are worthless, remind yourself that God loves you, he died for you, and there’s nothing he can’t do.