Last week I had a chat with a christian friend and the conversation was about a mutual christian friend. The conversation went something like this...
Friend: Have you spoken to Zack recently?
Me: No I haven't had much contact with Him in a while. How is he doing?
Friend: He's good. He's got a new job and has a new house.
Me: Woah! Cool that's really nice for him
Friend: Yeah! He really deserves it after the tough time he's had.
This got me thinking about how we as Christians use everyday language amongst ourselves and with other believers. I really believe that slowly and surely, worldly language is creeping its way into our lives as christians and that we need to be careful about what we say. I certainly see this kind of language slipping into my own vocabulary. And its probably because I fail to pray to God to help me be careful when I speak. "Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips". - Psalm 141: 3
As much as my friend had good intentions when talking to me, they used an unhelpful term in their conversation with me. We, as christians, tend to use the word DESERVE in a way that suggests it is our due to receive good things. It gives the impression that we have worked so hard that it is only right we receive nice things for ourselves. This can be a dangerous view as it leads to legalism and self dependence instead of humility and God dependence. God dependence is foundational to our relationship with God. Peter (quoting Isaiah) says "The one who trusts in Him (Christ) will never be put to shame" - 1 Peter 2 v 6.
Instead of using the word deserve I think perhaps using the term "God has been GRACIOUS" would have been a more helpful way of putting it. Automatically you are recognising God being active in our lives. You are also recognising a key attribute of God - Grace. See how Paul puts it.
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. " -1 Corinthians 15 v 9 & 10
He pushes the grace of God three times in those two verses. If I did this more in my life I know that I would become a much more thankful person and much more appreciative to all God has given me. Our words our important both in the way we communicate to Christians and how they make us stand out when around non-christians. To Him and Him alone be the glory!
"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19 v 14
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