Do any of these statements sound familiar…
“I know prayer heals, but…”
“I know I’m supposed to be hopeful, but…”
“I know I should expect healing, but…”
The temptation to doubt the efficacy of our prayer and qualify our efforts with “buts,” is not new to the human mind. But it can be turned around.
As one patient piped up after emphatically declaring a “but” statement, and then catching herself, said, “Oops. I know better. No one slides into heaven on their buts!”
So true. We don’t slide into a consciousness of Truth while doubting Truth.
For better results, eliminate the buts.
“I know that prayer heals,” gets you further than “I know that prayer heals but….”
What an utter helpful reminder! Just what I needed. Thank you very much!!!!
Recently I realized a lack of full trust in the ability to make Christian Science practical. I decided I needed more trust. How do I get that, I wondered? I listened for guidance and was led to listen to a Sentinel Watch podcast with Mark Swinney on trust even though I’ve listened to this before. It was really helpful for eliminating the buts in my thinking. It’s all about embracing the spirit of truth as Mark so clearly explains.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1609k0s0bak?s=copylink
Thank you Robert for sharing this SW. I had forgotten about this one. Love the way MS thinks and love SW in general. So grateful for all the tools we have on this journey. ❣️
I thanks Robert
Th as t was very helpful.
Thank you Robert for sharing your experience and discovery.
Mark’s admission that he would listen to God and embrace what God says, NO MATTER WHAT – my emphasis, is precious.
And the awareness that his spiritual growth is the absolute priority is fundamental.
Time to cowboy up to the Cowboy Curtain!
https://mega.nz/folder/btJ2ET7R#05zyUxnOUo_YVMHucrnjug
Maggie, Mark’s recording converted to text.
Most of the words are correct. i see that the commencement of the P3 has “I’m curtain” which is actually “Cowboy curtain”
To me the overall message that Mark conveys is, “God show me how to be useful here.”
Best, John
Dear John, This is a really wonderful interview -it s soo helpful to me, and I truly am really grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to read it. May God bless you.
Maggie
Maggie, we are the living demonstration of what blesses one, blesses all. I have read and reflected upon the transcript, and learned, and I have been blessed by aiding you. Magnificent Mind at work in us both.
Amen to that, John.
Robert,
Thank you so much for sharing this link to the Sentinel Watch conversation with Mark Swinney. The gracious and humble approach to prayer that he shares have already blessed my day.
So grateful!
But, for the will of God, go I.
That is very good, Josef – a positive kind of “but”. the comma in the right place. The fact that we can only live according to the will of God, and that is what He made us to be – to be in accord with His will
So I will see your comment, Josef, as :”Not for the will of man, but , for the will of God go I.
Thank you Evan for this very helpful message, and
thank you Josef for your inspiring comment.
That is exactly correct. Thank you for your reply
Getting rid of ‘yeah, buts’ by Karen Neff. From the April 8, 2025 issue of The Christian Science Monitor:
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/A-Christian-Science-Perspective/2025/0408/Getting-rid-of-yeah-buts/?src=shared
great article, J. Thank you
I agree with Sally… great article J. I’m getting ready to hire a company to do some siding and roof replacement and this article has alerted me to some errors in my thinking about the project that I can now “destroy”.
All must admit that Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life,” and that omnipotent Truth certainly does destroy error.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 353:10)
I eliminate the BUTS … by expressing …
Blamelessness | Unselfishness | Tenderness | Surety
Thank you Evan for this great reminder. I recently auditioned for a local choir…many buts were swimming in my head…but I’m not experienced enough..but I don’t read music very well, but I can’t hit all the high notes…..yet after practicing three songs for my audition song ..they just didn’t feel right. I opened our hymnal and God flipped to hymn #263, “Only God can bring us gladness”… Which was a good thing because I knew this song from singing it in church as I had to sing this acapella, there was not a pianist available that night.
Rehearsal starts tonight and I am thrilled to be able to sing my heart out!
Buts have no place in our thoughts….ever! What a great lesson!
That is lovely, Syl – you were spiritually inspired to select the right song obviously, and a hymn you knew was a really good choice. No buts when letting God show us. Enjoy you choir – it is a lovely thing to be involved with.
Wonderful tip! Thank you
Here’s a link to a C.S. lecture I heard given back in the early 1980s that has a warning about “Yes, but” thinking. I’ve never forgotten it. 🙂
https://www.cslectures.org/ridley/listening-to-god-is-that-really-possible-ridley.htm
Thank you for sharing this awesome lecture RobertH!
LOL ! Love it ☺️. Thank you, Evan.
Oh…yeah. I’ve been trying to eliminate the buts for a long time now. : )
When someone says something, followed by a “but”, the feeling always
comes, “oh no, what was a positive can now seem like a negative” with a
but attached. When it occurs in my own life, that sinking feeling of
despair tries to overtake the positive. Listening to God with our whole
heart without the buts is so beneficial to healing. A statement in the
lecture J shared (thank you, J!) that says, “Aren’t we usually so busy telling
God what’s wrong that we’re not really listening to Him tell us what’s right?”
That listening is so valuable to peaceful thoughts, without adding the buts.
Dr. Phil says when someone says but in a sentence, completely ignore what they said just before the word but. Lol. I read an article on JSH recently which said use the word BECAUSE in sentences. “I know I should be hopeful BECAUSE God is my one divine Mind and includes hope, faith and bestows understanding.” What follows BUT might be instructive because it’s a chief worry that perhaps needs to be reversed by a spiritual counterfact. I read also in a recent JSH article that worry is fear dressed in respectable clothing. So a specific BUT can be replaced with a specfic BECAUSE followed by a truth affirmation.
Thankyou Evan, and all SV family, this is so thought provoking, It makes one really keep watch on your thoughts. thanks everyone love the Spiritual inspirations. very helpful.
Oh yess, the BUTs sound familiar to me, and I prayed to illiminate this word and rather cling faithfully to God’s loving and safe guidance to healing.
Thank you very much, dear Evan for this needed reminder. Just so necessary, as all your inspirational SpiritViews are!
Thank you, dear J. for the very helpful article by Karen Neff from the Christian Science Monitor. It’s so comfortable to listen to it.
Thank you everyone for the great comments and references. I’ve very much enjoyed going through them all.