Meaningless Words

The more I talk to people and listen to other people, the more I realize that real communication has become almost impossible. Two or more people can be speaking the same language, but still totally misunderstand what each other are saying.

For instance, when Barack Obama told us that he would bring “Real Change”, everyone understood “Real Change” in their own way. Now that we see the change that the president was proclaiming, most of us will agree it wasn’t the change we understood it to be. Many politicians will use many words in their speeches that have many meanings or have relative meanings, so depending on who is hearing it, it will be taken the way the listener wants to take it.

Words have almost become meaningless. Take the word “believe.” What does “believe” mean to you? Is it something you can accept? Is it something you can understand? Is it something you can touch or see? Does it represent what you experience? Is it something you have because of tradition or family practices? Is it something you were taught in school by others which have a certain belief, so you go with the crowd? To believe, does it have a cost, or is it always free to believe? To believe something, are you required to act on that belief, or can we say we believe without taking any action on that belief? What does the word “believe” mean to you, does it have a different meaning to you other than what I listed? In our world the word “believe” has become almost worthless, because it has become a relative term.

Another word that is confusing is the word “love.” The word “love” is also relative in meaning and we have almost made this word meaningless. It was such an important word at one point, but because of its misuse, it is almost a worthless word now. We can love our shoes, a car, or a house. We can love our pet ant, a tree, a cat, or a dog. We can love our son or daughter. We can love our girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, or same sex mate. When we say we love our spouse, are we saying we love them like a car, or maybe a dog, or maybe like one of our children? I can say I love my neighbor or my neighbor can say he loves me, but what does that mean? The neighbor might often kick his dog that he says he loves; does he love me like that? I just don’t know.

“Obey” is another word that has become a relative term. Even though we don’t hear or use this word as much anymore. It has kind of become a dirty four letter word. When we “Obey”, is it only something we do when someone is watching? Is it something we do when it only benefits us? Do we do it because we feel we have to or because we want to? Are there consequences to not obeying, or is obeying an option with no consequences or blessings attached to do it? Did you have to obey while you were a child to receive the blessings of your parents, or did they bless you anyway even when you didn’t obey? Do we feel we need to obey a higher power, or are we the higher power that others need to obey? Maybe you feel you need to obey, or maybe obeying is for people lower then you?

The word “Lord” has also seemed to become another four letter forbidden word, because almost no one wants to have anyone be Lord over them, because they want to be in control of their own lives. Many people want Jesus Christ to be their Savior, but the Lord part is just too much to ask. So the word “Lord” hasn’t been used much anymore. In essence, it has been made an optional part of the Gospel.

So, when I say to people that God’s word says Jesus Christ must be the “Lord” of our lives by “loving” Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, they really don’t have a clue of what I am saying, because the words have been made worthless. These words have been made so relative that people can make it mean what ever they want it to mean.

When I tell people that God’s word says that a person must “believe” in Jesus Christ to be saved and be born again spiritually through this “belief” in Christ, they really don’t have a clue of what I am saying, because the words have been made worthless. These words have been made so relative that people can make it mean what ever they want it to mean.

God’s word says if we “love” Him, we will “obey” Him. What does this really mean? What does it mean to you?

It has really come to the point where:

2 Tim 4:3-4 - For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. NIV


Michael W Reid