Elimination and Decimation

This isn’t so much a blog on missions or the kingdom of God or even good, radical Christian living.  In fact, this is more of a challenge to my generation to grow up.  I don’t mean “stop acting immature,” I mean it’s time to do things on purpose because you’re an adult and it’s time to change.

 

 

 

I want to talk for a second about communication.  Words are very important to me.  My mom has always taught me that everything can be solved with a good talk (thanks Mom 🙂 ).  The words we use become our trademarks, they become our inroad into community, they help articulate the way we feel, the things we say are important and are the vehicle by which we spur one another on to greatness. 

 

Words are an expression of worship.   They are the precious packages of prophetic encouragement and challenge to one another and they are the aroma that can spread to the masses…and the world.

 

Given the value that words have, I would like to see us choose words intentionally.  When we don’t, I suggest that we betray and misrepresent who we truly are.  Our identities, in fact, are misunderstood and we weakly concede to a culture that oppresses our true expression.

 

This being said, there are a few words and phrases I believe should be eliminated from our vocabulary.  We must dominate the oppression of silence and insecurity and face it with courage.  I believe the following changes will drastically impact your ability to say what you mean and will bolster your own sense of confidence in who you are as you get liberated by the weakness of our current cultural vernacular and semantic.

 

1) “Like” – The chief of all filler words.  I always think of Mary Poppins explaining the use of “supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus”…it’s the word you say when you don’t know what to say.  Alternative: silence.  I’m not kidding.  Learn to take a pause while you’re thinking of how you want to express your next thought.  “Like” is distracting and immature when used inappropriately and it dilutes your point and makes us all lose respect for you. 

 

2) “Just” – Where did THIS come from?!  Listen and count the number of times people who are leading a group in prayer use this word.   It means something like “at the most foundational level” as in “God I just pray that you would fill us with your love…and that you would just speak to the core of our being and would just use us.”  Do this: look at that last sentence and tell me what changes if you remove the “justs”…  you know what changes?  Nothing.  It’s weak.  Alternative: say what you mean.  You’re actually expressing what you want and the “just” is actually having the opposite effect: it’s NOT making your prayer more sincere, it’s actually compromising the integrity of your message.

 

 3) “I don’t know” – Sorry to those of you who have heard me get on this soapbox lately, but this is so irritating.  We use it as a way to cover our embarrassment at feeling insecure about the statements we’re making.  This usually accompanies some soul-searching statements such as: “I just (haha) feel so…I don’t know…strange about that conversation.”  Why is it bad you feel that way?  Are you not allowed to feel that way?  Who’s judging you?  (If someone IS judging you…you might need new friends.)  Alternative: commit to it.  It’s better if you give what you’re trying to say a fair chance and rescind it if it comes out wrong.  Learn to say: “You know what? I don’t think that’s what I meant.”  I don’t think you’ll say it as often as you think you will.