Whatever (Day 1)

Reading: Proverbs 15:23 ESV

To make an apt answer is a joy to a man

And a word in season, how good it is!

Whatever. A contemporary expression we use for an ancient issue is this versatile pronoun. It can convey indifference to what anybody says – a who really cares attitude.

Moreover, it can be verbal ammunition fired at the person aggravating you.  A way to cut someone short. A lazy attempt to make a person feel stupid or you feel superior. It can come in a rotten tone that seeks to minimise and with a pronounced sigh of total exasperation. It may even come as a whisper under the breath or with a hurtful roll of the eyes.

Who can remember being the recipient of the Whatever.

But Whatever can also be a feeling deep down in the heart – an indicator that something is wrong and needs further investigation. This is my own experience as I have explored my own words and the attitudes within them. As God showed me how I was to put this incorrect whatever attitude far from me and replace my very real and rotten feelings with the powerfully real whatevers of God!

The holy and inspired Word of God claimed the Whatever before it ever made its way into the urban dictionary.  This seemingly unimportant pronoun is what I will explore with you in this devotional. How can we incorporate this little word into our lives as God intended? To use it in season and use it appropriately.

Today, think about a moment you intentionally cut someone down abruptly or a time you were perhaps even dismissive with someone. Purpose in your heart to take a few seconds in the future to check your heart-mouth connectivity and ensure a careless phrase doesn’t slip out. Think about times this word or harsh words like it were used on you. How did it make you feel?

Charmaine