Okay, so I kept hearing these Christian phrases thrown around and thought, “Man, most of these sound like ancient Shakespeare or something.” Decided to actually figure out what the heck they mean for regular people trying to live life.
Starting Simple
First thing, I scribbled down every saying I could remember hearing in church or from my gran. My list looked like a word salad: “Fear God,” “Walk by faith,” “Turn the other cheek.” Felt overwhelmed staring at it all. Grabbed my Bible instead of Googling – figured cutting out the noise was smarter. Started flipping pages like a madman, hunting for the original words behind each phrase.
Trimming Down to Ten
Found way more than ten. Obvious ones kept popping up everywhere though. Like “Love thy neighbor” – Jesus straight up says it’s as important as loving God. Couldn’t ignore that. Then there’s “Do unto others” from the Sermon on the Mount. Golden Rule stuff, right? Easy pick because my kid even knows it. Axed the complicated ones nobody uses anymore. Kept hitting:
- “The Lord is my Shepherd” (Psalms)
- “Let there be light” (Genesis creation story)
- “Blessed are the meek” (Beatitudes again)
Chose sayings normal folks actually say today.
Explaining Without Preaching
Biggest struggle right here. Wanted zero churchy jargon. Took “Fear God” for example. Sounds scary. Dug into it – realized it’s more about respect than shaking in boots. Like when you admire a master craftsman? That kind of awe. Wrote it down plain: “Respect God’s role in your life like you respect gravity. Don’t ignore it.”
Then “Walk by faith, not by sight.” Sounds mystical. Broke it to: “Sometimes you gotta drive with headlights on a foggy road. Can only see ten feet ahead? Keep driving anyway trusting the road’s there.”
Kept asking myself: “Would my barista get this?” If not, scrapped it and rewrote.
Everyday Life Hook
Tested these out talking with neighbors. Dropped “turn the other cheek” when my buddy complained about road rage. Told him: “Next time somebody flips you off? Don’t flip back. Just breathe. Keeps you from becoming garbage.” He snorted but nodded.
Another test: Used “manna from heaven” waiting for paycheck with bills stacking up. Explained it like: “It’s about trusting today’s enough even when tomorrow looks empty.” Felt way less panicky saying it out loud.
Messed up “let there be light” though. Told my kid it’s like when mom snaps on the bedroom light yelling “SCHOOL!” at dawn. Got a middle finger for that one.
Final Punch-Up
Reread everything this morning. Still felt heavy. Chopped three paragraphs quoting scripture. Ain’t no seminary paper. Kept only what helps you through traffic jams or family drama. Done. Coffee time.
