21 July 2008 Devotion for Today “Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say” Philippians 2:13

21 July 2008 Devotion for Today “Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say” Philippians 2:13

You may remember the late George Carlin and Seven Words you can never say on Television? Carlin was most noted for his vulgarities and offensive humor which got him into trouble with the law many times. He was not only known for his public blasphemies, but also for his outspoken atheism. Once he said he really tried to believe in God, but could not get past the behaviors of those who said they believed in God who lived inconsistent and hypocritical lives. That won’t let Carlin off the hook, and I’m sure that he is doing a lot of explaining right now, but there might be a smattering of truth in what he said when it comes to the idea of faithlessness. We might abhor the vulgarities Carlin used to project. But just as offensive to God are the things we as Christians say and we don’t even realize that we are at the least impugning the good will and nature of God and at our worst we spout blasphemy in the face of God. Faithlessness, which is the epitome of worry, begins with our vocabulary, which are actually thoughts conceived by the devil in our minds. How do we do we blaspheme God in this? Well let me offer you Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say, and today I will deal with phrase number One:

1. “It will never work!” I hate that one- and God hates it too. If there is anything I cannot stand is somebody standing over my shoulder and saying that, so why should we say it under our breath when God tells us to do something? First of all, you don’t know what will work until you try. You say, “Well, I tried that once, and it didn’t work!.” Well, what you just earned yourself is experience on how not to do it the next time. But that doesn’t mean the problem is with God. Usually the problem is between you and the chair you are sitting in. OK- it might not work, but how are you going to learn if you don’t at least try it and see for yourself. What’s more, if God said it will work, or if you trust Him to let it work it will. What if Noah had said when God told him to build the ark, “It will never work?” Chances are, I would not be writing this devotional right now. What if Moses had said “It will never work!” when God told him to hold his staff out over the Red Sea? What if Jesus had not had the water pots filled at the wedding feast of Cana because He thought, “This isn’t going to work?” Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

May I say to you, that many people who will say to you, “It will never work are usually too lazy to try or too faithless to let God do something or to trust God to do what He says He will do. So if God or someone else offers you a plan and you say, “It will never work” what you saying is, “I would rather worry about this problem than to do something constructive about it.”

Take this dirty phrase “It will never work” out of your vocabulary, and focus on the God who never ceases to work on your behalf to bless you and to give you what you need. Tomorrow I will continue with this series, “Seven Phrases a Christian Should Never Say.”

Have a blessed day!