Whatever

I saw it on a bumper sticker again the other day. It's become a capsule summary of today's prevailing mood—a postmodern slogan expressed in one word: Whatever.

Some say it with a cynical shrug. "Government leaders are acting stupid and selfish? Whatever. Church members are acting like hypocrites? Whatever."

Others use the word because they don't want to acknowledge any moral or doctrinal boundaries. "You're going to leave your wife for another woman? People are going to get hurt, but . . . (shrug) . . . Whatever." "You disagree with the Bible on several points? You want to combine Eastern religion with Christian ideas? Oh, well . . . Whatever!"

When I hear the way people use this term, I also detect a note of helplessness and frustration—as if we are at the mercy of purposeless forces we cannot change. "More random shootings in schools and churches? More disintegration of human dignity? More violence and death? So what else is new? Whatever!"

Today's half-hearted "whatever," though, presents quite a contrast with the purposeful lifestyle God desires for his people. In fact, the Bible often uses the word whatever to describe a Christian's whole-hearted, all-out commitment to God. "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:17). "Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ" (Philippians 3:7). "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31, emphasis mine).

The word even appears six times in one verse! Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

God's Word is still true. Human life still matters. We can still find forgiveness for the past and a purpose for the future in Jesus Christ. Instead of a flippant "whatever," our world needs to hear God's "whoever," as in Revelation 22:17: "Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Let's offer our cynical generation this message of hope—whatever it takes, however we can, wherever the Lord leads.