Christian Living

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Religious jargon can contribute to many misconceptions. Some Christians continually use words and phrases without any explanation of their meaning, and people do not ask for any explanation because they are just supposed to accept them as part of religious language. How many times have you heard the following phrases?

"Just turn it over to the Lord."
"Just wait on God."
"Don't run ahead of God."
"Just listen to the still, small voice."
"Just pray about it."

Do you know what these phrases mean? Before you go any further could you write out a one sentence definition of each one?

People flippantly use the phrase, "Just turn it over to the Lord," as if everything will be all right. Does the phrase, "Just wait on God," mean that a person should not do anything until God gives the okay?

When people say, "Don't run ahead of God," how do they know if they are getting in front of Him? Maybe they are lagging behind. How do they know how fast God is walking or running?

I honestly believe that phrases like these can hold Christians back in life because they reinforce thinking that it is wrong to have goals, and move ahead as quickly as possible to accomplish those goals. They actually refer, though, to God's timing and sovereignty.

The phrase, "Just listen to the still, small voice," is very vague.
It can mean different things to different people. Is it a person's conscience? Is it a literal voice? Maybe it is a feeling. How does one know if it is really God talking? It could be Satan or one's own desire.

The phrase we hear most often is, "Just pray about it." People come across sometimes as if prayer is some kind of cure-all for making problems just go away. I am not making light of prayer, but sometimes it is used in place of action or taking personal responsibility.

There is one definite command that is not open for debate, found in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus simply and clearly said, "GO."

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