You don’t have to look far to hear or read something that claims to be biblical that clearly isn’t. The internet is full of people claiming truth but in reality, are far from it. Most of us can recognize those untruths from a distance. However, there are some Christian sayings that are not in the Bible that many believe are.
In fact, some of these statements get used by Christians every day. Worse yet, people who decide to follow Jesus assume this is what he is offering.
Here are a few statements that are unbiblical that we need to rethink how we use.
God wants me to be happy
We elevate the value of happiness way above healthy levels in this country. Now being happy is not bad, but God’s first concern is not our happiness. God is more concerned with our holiness rather than our happiness. In other words, God is more concerned that we are in right relationship with him, rather than us being happy.
God is more concerned with our holiness rather than our happiness.
Craig Groeschel says it this way: “God doesn’t want you to be happy when it causes us to do something wrong or unwise.”
Too often we use our happiness as an excuse to get away with something we shouldn’t be messing with. God wants you to be in a right relationship with him. Will there be happiness there? Sure, at times. But as in any relationship there will be struggles and difficulties as well. Happiness should not be our top concern.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
I know, I know, I can hear you now, “But I read this in the Bible, it has to be true!” It’s not the verse that is wrong, but it’s how it’s applied. This verse is not a hype up verse to gain strength to do some human feat. This verse is not about getting enough strength to win your game or gain that promotion. Not that those are bad things, but what’s going on here is much deeper.
We read this verse like this: “I can do all things, that I want, through Christ who strengthens me.” What Paul actually means is this: “I can do all things, that God leads me to, through Christ who strengthens me.” Do you hear the difference? Paul is saying that regardless of your life circumstances God will sustain you in what he has called you to.
For more on reading the Bible in context check out: Stop Taking The Bible Out of Context
Everything Happens For a Reason
This phrase typically shows up following a tragedy. And I get it, we are trying to offer a little hope in a difficult situation. But I just can’t believe it. It doesn’t add up. And the Bible seems to paint a different picture. Just take a glance at the story of Job.
We are grasping at straws trying to make sense of a confusing and out of control world. The truth is, in this world crap happens. Life is hard. People die. Relationships end. Our health deteriorates. And God is not up there causing these things to happen.
I know I just painted a rather bleak picture. And while I do not believe everything happens for a reason, I do believe that God takes the mess of this world and gives it reason. I have seen it time and time again. God takes the worst of situations and turns it into something beautiful. God takes our mess and points us to the hope in Christ.
God Won’t Give Me More Than I Can Handle
I used to tell myself this whenever I was tempted or was just facing some difficulty. I’d tell myself this only to give in to temptation a moment later or throw in the towel the next day. Most of my life has been more than I can handle.
Instead of thinking God won’t give us more than we can handle, we need to give up and let God help us. Listen, there will be things in your life that are more than you can handle, but it’s not more than God can handle. God doesn’t call us to a life that we are capable of living. He calls us to a life that we are only capable of living with Him.
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says come to me when you are tired and burdened. Stop trying to do life on your own and let Jesus help you.
Here’s the bottom line of this article. Our beliefs need to be rooted in the Bible. Though they may sound good, these Christian sayings are not in the bible. They aren’t rooted in anything. They are hollow, empty. And when you tell them, believe them, they will eventually let us down. Because they aren’t true or are half-truths. Instead, we should base our life on what God has said.
I want to hear from you! What saying do you hear people say that is not in the Bible? Drop a comment down below!
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Resources For Reading The Bible
To help in this journey we need good resources to help us understand the Bible better. Here are a few good ones that will help.
BA in Biblical Studies - Ozark Christian College (2012)
MA in Theology - Regent University (2019)
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