My husband and I were chatting this week about the throw away line that many of our generation and also our children’s use. It’s “whatever’. Or should I say “WHAT –ehv-errr. It’s heard regularly when someone is exasperated or annoyed, and is often an argument ender, or a sign of apathy and dismissiveness. WhatEVER can also mean, “I don’t really care, or whatever goes is okay with me.”
However the word ”whatever” is also used in the bible, with the emphasis on WHATever.
Philippians 4:8 says, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is admirable excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
Philippians 4:8 is all about what we think and meditate on. To meditate means to ponder upon, to roll over in our hearts and minds, and what we even mutter to ourselves. WHATever does not leave room for a “what –ehv-errr” goes attitude or apathy. Instead we are encouraged in God’s word to really examine what we are choosing to focus on and think about. God speaks directly to any tendencies within us towards passivity in what we spend time thinking and mediating on, and any attitudes we may have that it “doesn’t matter, it makes no difference, and I’m fed up anyway.”
That’s because “the ideas and images in our minds are the invisible powers that constantly govern us”. If we have the attitude of “what-ehv-err” we place ourselves on dangerous ground, open to deception, negativity, depression, sickness, lack and every other evil work that the devil actively tries to inundate our thoughts and lives with. He has no “what-ehv-err’s” in his strategy, but a determined effort to bring us down. When we are apathetic and fail to be vigilant in our thought life; in what we spend our time focusing on and allowing into our lives we make his evil plan of killing, robbing and destroying from us easy. (John 10:10)
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he many devour.”(1 Peter 5:8)
That’s why God lovingly cautions that “What-ehv-err” or whatEVER is not okay. To begin with He encourages us in His Word to think and mediate on those things that are true. To make finding what is “true” easy for us Jesus clearly stated, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life.” (John 14:6)
Therefore if we are looking for whatever is true before us we line up our lives and thinking with Jesus, and what He wants us to be connected to and be filling our hearts and minds with. Throughout our day we ask ourselves the question, “Is this true? Will these things get me off track and let me down? Is this real? This quickly eradicates any what-ehv-err’s from our minds and hearts.
Let’s change our whatEVER to WHATever so that we spend a lot more time thinking upon those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable, instead of what simply pops into our heads or comes before our eyes.
“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (Colossians 3:2)
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans12:2)
Prayer: Lord let my “whatever’s” be one’s that are pleasing to you. That whatever I look at, think upon, and spend my time doing will be full of truth and life. Please forgive me where I have been apathetic and had the attitude of whatever goes is okay. In Jesus name Amen.
Comments