"Beware Of Catchy Phrases"

There is too much worldliness in us. I struggle with that too at times but it really hits the heart when people in Christ Jesus copy ideas and catchy phrases from the world. People take slogans from ungodly sources and make them sound like they are spiritual. For instance, years back at a lectureship I was speaking, they were selling t-shirts with the Budweiser emblem but it said "Godweiser, you said it all." Can you imagine copying a beer commercial and making it sound spiritual? Here were young people walking around with these T's and few thought anything of it. That reveals the lack of spiritual insight and maturity.

It is like the idea found in Matt. 23 where Jesus condemned the Pharisees for cleaning the outside of the cup while the inside is full of lawlessness. To take the world's slogans (or anything else) and make them appear as something spiritual and godly is covering up the ungodliness of a situation and reveals our insight of God.

It carries over to the idea of the little phrases many use like the popular, "Don't Worry, Be Happy!" or "Be of good cheer!" What empty statements that aren't taking anyone anywhere. You don't find that in God's word. Every time people were instructed to be of good cheer or not to fear, there was a statement of reason behind it! As Jesus walked on the water during the night, it frightened His disciples. What did He say? "Don't worry, be happy?" No, He told them not to fear because it is the Lord! He gave them something greater to hold to. To tell people not to worry is not the answer. It must be tied to something other than a nice slogan or statement. It must be tied to the Lord! To not fret over money and telling people that is not the answer. The answer is tying them to the promises of God that if we would just seek Him first, He would take care of our needs. That will now depend on the listerner if they have faith in the Lord or not (Matt. 6). To tell people not to worry or fret, that worry needs to be replaced with the Lord and the assurances of His presence based on His word.

The lack of maturity is because too many are filling their lives with these catchy phrases, stuck on the refrigerator doors, mirrors and bookmarks. When times of trouble hit, they are of no value, no help. Getting our lives wrapped around Jesus and practicing His word of righteousness is what will lead us away from worldly thinking, away from little ideas and phrases that amount to nothing in times of need and into the reality of discernment and faith (Heb. 5:14). There we begin to find the reality of life with our Lord.