She was a very pleasant young woman. Very capable, very well prepared, she led me and a colleague through a bit of paperwork with grace and aplomb. It was the perfect bank experience. “Perfect!” she exclaimed when we sat down and settled in. “Perfect!” she declared as I offered her my personal information. “Perfect!” she gushed as Chuck and I signed our documents. If we had any doubts about our worthiness this young woman quickly dispelled them with her constant declarations of “Perfect!”
Perfect, it would appear, is the new “Awesome!” Whatever the task, occasion or event, you are wont to hear folks declare that it is “Perfect!” It’s the “in” word, the current catchphrase, the trendy talk of the day. It’s awesome how quickly it has taken hold. It might even be the most perfect choice ever. It is also starting to grate on my nerves.
We usually talk to exchange information; we sometimes talk to fill in dead air; we sometimes talk to acknowledge or request an action. Proclaiming my completed signature as “Perfect!” is not a compliment to my handwriting; it is simply a polite acknowledgement. The trouble, for me, is that the word means something else. Yes, it’s complimentary, but no, it’s meant to describe every little mundane task we might accomplish. So, while it does express one’s satisfaction with another’s effort, it simultaneously diminishes the true meaning of the word. It’s nice to recognize that we are ready to work, but simply sitting down around a desk together is not a sign of perfection.
When we take something and overuse it, or use it in the wrong way, it loses value and becomes meaningless. Just as words can become trite space holders, our faith can at times be empty and without worth. That’s not a criticism; I’m simply stating how even God can become just another word when we don’t think about Him carefully. When we only go through the motions of faith; when our actions do not match our beliefs; when we mention “God” as thoughtlessly as some folks say “Perfect!” our faith is as empty as the recent overuse of the word “Awesome!”
The good news is that our faith can become vibrant and alive as quickly as it faded from relevance. A simple realignment of priorities is all it takes to go from god as a word to God as our heavenly Father. To recognize God as the only one worth calling “Perfect!” or “Awesome!” and to reclaim Jesus as Lord and Saviour rather than a word to use when we hit our thumbs with a hammer is all it takes to get back on track. Our imperfect faith will be made perfect through Jesus. Our limited words of praise and thanks will be raised to awesomeness through the Holy Spirit. All it takes is our willing submission to the one and only awesome and perfect God of all creation.
Perfect, it would appear, is the new “Awesome!” Whatever the task, occasion or event, you are wont to hear folks declare that it is “Perfect!” It’s the “in” word, the current catchphrase, the trendy talk of the day. It’s awesome how quickly it has taken hold. It might even be the most perfect choice ever. It is also starting to grate on my nerves.
We usually talk to exchange information; we sometimes talk to fill in dead air; we sometimes talk to acknowledge or request an action. Proclaiming my completed signature as “Perfect!” is not a compliment to my handwriting; it is simply a polite acknowledgement. The trouble, for me, is that the word means something else. Yes, it’s complimentary, but no, it’s meant to describe every little mundane task we might accomplish. So, while it does express one’s satisfaction with another’s effort, it simultaneously diminishes the true meaning of the word. It’s nice to recognize that we are ready to work, but simply sitting down around a desk together is not a sign of perfection.
When we take something and overuse it, or use it in the wrong way, it loses value and becomes meaningless. Just as words can become trite space holders, our faith can at times be empty and without worth. That’s not a criticism; I’m simply stating how even God can become just another word when we don’t think about Him carefully. When we only go through the motions of faith; when our actions do not match our beliefs; when we mention “God” as thoughtlessly as some folks say “Perfect!” our faith is as empty as the recent overuse of the word “Awesome!”
The good news is that our faith can become vibrant and alive as quickly as it faded from relevance. A simple realignment of priorities is all it takes to go from god as a word to God as our heavenly Father. To recognize God as the only one worth calling “Perfect!” or “Awesome!” and to reclaim Jesus as Lord and Saviour rather than a word to use when we hit our thumbs with a hammer is all it takes to get back on track. Our imperfect faith will be made perfect through Jesus. Our limited words of praise and thanks will be raised to awesomeness through the Holy Spirit. All it takes is our willing submission to the one and only awesome and perfect God of all creation.
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