I know you’ve missed me–I hope! I haven’t posted for a while because Larry and I have been visiting our daughter, son-in-love, and grandson, to help them welcome baby Matilda to our family. Of course, she’s the most beautiful thing there is.
In the meantime until I return home soon and leave behind my grandma duties, here’s a little encouragement, I hope. I was watching my nine-year-old grandson, Raf, create a video version of a computer game and I was amazed at the computer skills of a third grader. (By the way, the video game is Mario. Some of us remember the Mario Brothers video game years and years and years ago. I know you aren’t that old, but I am!!!!)
Watching Raf being able to create something completely unknown to me, I said, “Raf, you are amazing!”
Raf immediately replied, “No. God is amazing.”
I was so amazed, opps, thrilled, to hear his comment because it’s the truth!
Unfortunately, I think superlative words like awesome and amazing can be overused. In their book Burning Hearts: Preaching to the Affections, Josh Moody and Robin Weekes write,
We live in a time when everything is “great” and “wonderful” and “brilliant.” And yet if we use superlatives to describe the mundane, how do we describe the one who is altogether lovely? So here’s something we are trying to do: reserve our superlatives for the Savior. That is to keep the utmost language for our utmost Treasure, and to borrow whatever language we can to praise Him who is.
I’ve been trying to do that after hearing a sermon years ago encouraging that same thing. I had never thought of it before but now there’s a little check in my spirit by the Holy Spirit when I succumb to calling something or using a word that really only describes God’s character.
Obviously, I succumbed this morning calling my grandson “amazing.” Yes, God has created his mind to do some things that seem pretty wonderful for a nine-year-old. But even Raf recognizes that “amazing” only describes God.
How wonderful that even a child sees that.
Oh, should I use the word “wonderful”? I’ll have to think about that considering the word means “full of wonder.”
How about you? Have you considered this idea before? What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Last year when Chuck Swindol was at EV Free for the anniversary service, he said the word "awesome" should be reserved for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I've really curbed my use of that word and if/when I do use it, I hear Chuck's words in my ears!!
I was there too!!! And it was a second time I'd heard a pastor say that. Like you, it caused me to pause and like you, I've curbed my use of that word. So thanks for reading and for letting me know you see the importance of this. Blessings!