Any word can become tired and eroded of meaning with overuse, but I think “Lord” in evangelical culture is one of the more lamentable cases. “Praise the Lord.” “Oh, Lord.” “Lord, please….” We throw his title around very casually, don’t we? It’s become a virtual nickname for Jesus Christ, but I suspect we’ve forgotten what we proclaim when we use it.
I was wrestling in prayer through some stubborn circumstances recently, trying for the umpteenth time to persuade “the Lord” to change them already. Mid-plea, his words in Luke 6:46 came sharply to mind: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?”
Any word can become tired and eroded of meaning with overuse, but I think “Lord” in evangelical culture is one of the more lamentable cases. “Praise the Lord.” “Oh, Lord.” “Lord, please….” We throw his title around very casually, don’t we? It’s become a virtual nickname for Jesus Christ, but I suspect we’ve forgotten what we proclaim when we use it.
I was wrestling in prayer through some stubborn circumstances recently, trying for the umpteenth time to persuade “the Lord” to change them already. Mid-plea, his words in Luke 6:46 came sharply to mind: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?”
In other words, “You’ve asked me about this over and over and I have yet to change my previous instructions, so when will you accept my word and get on with it?” Oh, that.
We call him Lord but through our actions say, “I’ll take it from here, thank you.” We cry Lord but really mean, “This can’t be your will because it’s not mine.” We make our many plans and spend vast amounts of energy trying to execute them. When those plans fail and come to grief, we again cry out, “Lord!” but don’t mean it.
What are we really saying when we call Christ Lord? Merriam-Webster defines the term this way: One having power and authority over others; a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due. Now we’re talking. Would onlookers say that the Son of God is clearly the power and authority in my life, in all detail? How would my prayers take a different shape if I began with: “Oh Ruler by Hereditary Right and Preeminence, I ask you to….” Or “God Who Has Complete Power and Authority In My Life, what shall we do about….?”
Of course, we American Christians are particularly handicapped in our understanding of the servant/master relationship. We’ve no natural reference point. Challenging authority is in our national DNA; we have RIGHTS, prized individuality, freedom. We take orders from no one. Believers in Christ may get away with such independence; followers of him do not. We must be taught, slowly and patiently by our benevolent monarch, that his kingdom is not a democracy. He’s good, but not safe and not necessarily fair in the way we measure fairness. When I’ve compared his dealings with me with his dealings with my brothers and sisters and cried for explanation, the persistent reply has been the same he gave to a whining Peter: “What is it to you? YOU follow ME!” (John 21:22).
Are some of God’s directives arbitrary and for the sole purpose of teaching us obedience and servant hood, just because he said so? I wonder. Christ’s is not a limited government; on the contrary, the increasing reach of his rule has no end (Isaiah 9:7). But if I’m honest I have to confess that much of my walk with “the Lord” has been spent resisting his total lordship. I trust him for the things I know have no ability to manage – my sin, sanctification, eternity – but I act as if I know pretty well how this life should go. In a thousand ways, I try to arrange things for myself. Do you?
How many of us can say that we consistently behave as if God knows better than us? Do we act as if he has complete power and authority in our lives, in all things big and small? How well do we take orders we don’t like (loving one’s enemies comes to mind)? Where are we resisting the Lord’s right to rule?
Beloved, we’ve been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20); our lives are not our own. Let’s be doers of the word and not simply hearers (James 1:22). Let’s call him Lord and endeavor to mean it!
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12 Comments
Allison Young
Hit the nail on the head again, Sara
This post is especially near and dear to my heart as I have just come out of a period of time where bowing under His Lordship required a level of faith and trust in Him that I didn't even know was possible! It is so easy to get caught in the vortex of earthly comparison…..this person was blessed THIS way, that person doesn't have to deal with THIS….and on and on. But you nailed it when you remind us that WE follow HIM. That's it. We don't concern ourselves with how His will plays out in everyone else's life. We follow His guiding in ours. Great post, Sara!! Keep declaring truth!
Sara Alexander
Thank you, friend.
It was a privilege watching you call him Lord and meaning it this last year. Kudos.
Teresa Box
Sarah,You said it
Sara,You said it wonderfully! I find myself slipping into this pattern sometimes without even realizing it.If I consistently believed with all my heart that He is good and that His plans for my life are the best,that He is the loving heavenly Father He says He is, then living consistently as He is my Master would not be as difficult.One of the challenges for me is accepting not knowing the future,as well as accepting the fact that I cannot understand His ways.It seems ,as Lord, that He usually reveals to us only one step at a time.Thanks for writing this,Sarah.I love your posts!
Sara Alexander
Good point, Teresa.
A big piece of the puzzle is our trust or distrust in him. If we trusted him, we wouldn't fight his lordship. Thank you!
Leah Ouzts
WOW! So gracefully honest!
WOW! So gracefully honest! Yesterday I was counseling a friend about the death of her father and unfortunately as Father's Day approaches I found myself using the term, unfair. We do often resort to our natural human inclinations. Your wise words remind me of God's Will and his individual plan for each life. Your will Lord, not mine. Thank you for the lovely reminder.
hosiallen
Pierced my heart
Read your comments on "the Lord", and my heart was pierced by your words. As one of the "walking wounded" in life, who didn't grow up with loving and nurturing in the home, submission to the Lordship of Christ hasn't come easy. What was modeled for me was abusive cruelty and so the idea of submitting myself wholeheartedly to a Heavenly Father or the Sovereign Savior of my soul brings up all kinds of emotions. Mostly fear. Because like you said, His ways are not our ways and sometimes, actually much of the time, His way for me involves stepping out into a place of faith and trust where everything inside me screams, "Run, hide, don't trust Him, this will hurt!" But, I know in my heart and mind that while He is truly, truly not safe, He is so very,very good and so I continue to trust Him. I continue to let Him lead me and "rule" me even when I cannot see the good because I know His heart towards me and it is all good. Jer.29:11 That is what pierces my heart the most; that I allow Him to be "the Lord" in my heart, because I know His love is so very real and personal and unconditional and never ending. In fact, His love knows no bounds. His love flows over all the fears and obstacles to allowing Him Lordship over my heart. It isn't a straight and level path and certainly it isn't without me grabbing back the reins to my heart, and trying to run my own life. But always, I come back to a deeper knowing of His Lordship means His Loveship in my life and that, I can trust and embrace. Thanks so much for your words Sara, you made a big difference for me today.
Sara Alexander
So beautifully put, thank you.
What a wonderful story and testimony you have. Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Hard to improve upon the old hymn, huh?
Sara Alexander
Thanks, Leah.
Yes, he deals w/ us uniquely as individuals. I've tried many times to get him to discuss another's circumstances w/ me and he always refuses. Ha!
Gwynne Johnson
Right on!
You describe us Americans well. Bondslave? What’s that? Thanks for the challenge.
Sara Alexander
Ha, good question.
I'm sure most Western people wouldn't know. Thanks for sharing your blog slot with me!
Jamie Bostick
AS always
you spoke directly to my heart or should I say God spoke through you! Thank you for the perspective you have and enlightening so many of us. As always, love reading your thoughts, the talent God gave you rewards my little heart!
StephG
Wow Sara, thank you for this!
Wow Sara, thank you for this! Living as a believer vs. follower of Christ…my soul will be dwelling on this for a while. Your writing serves as an instrument of change for me. I look forward to the next!