Empty Words

Fear of rejection or condemnation causes many believers to keep a pocket full of cliche’s available for pacifying biters in their fellowships. If you don’t have the right answers handy, you may be accused of not being spiritual, or maybe even not saved yet. They can also feel protective when you have no idea what the right answer is, but a cliche’ seems to notate a doctrine that implies that you do know the truth. It might keep you out of an argument with a lawyer type – modern Pharisee, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, religious person, etc.

Pride is another motivator to stocking up on cliche’s. It is easy for immature believers to think that having the “right” thing to say in every situation will convince others that they are knowledgeable and wise. Wisdom and understanding gained from scanned headlines is rarely valuable.

Our words should have power. The name of Jesus has the power to heal the sick (Acts 3:16). As Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:20), he shared the Kingdom of God with them by showing them power, not just giving them information.

It is a good practice to reduce new ideas to a boiled-down version, like a short proverb. That should always have the power of truth, though; when it becomes a mere cliche’, it has lost its power, and therefore its value.

“How are you?” is not a good substitute for “Hello.” If you ask a question, make sure it’s one that you want the answer to. If you make a statement, make it real. Bring Life and Truth and Love to your conversations. Bring Jesus, raised from the dead, and seated in power.