Cliches - how true are they?

I was thinking today about some of things we say and realised that so many clichés are simply not true. It’s amazing how when something gets said often enough, we start to assume it’s truth. The fact is that when something does not line up with the word of God, it simply is not true. God is not wrong - we are. Let’s play the truth game.

When someone shows you who they are, believe them - NOT TRUE

This one basically means that you are only supposed to give someone one chance. Once they mess up, they’re out. You don’t see them as a person who made a stuff up, you see them as a person who is a stuff up. This is the pole opposite to what the Bible says.

“The Peter asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times but seventy times seven times!” Therefore the Kingdon of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold – along with his wife, his children and everything he owned - to pay the debt. But the man fell before his master and begged him “Please be patient with me, and I will pay it all” Then the master was filled with pity for him and released him and forgave his debt. But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time: “Be patient with me, and I will pay it,” he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said “You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I have had mercy on you? Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. That’s what your heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from the heart.” Matt 18 v 21

Where there is smoke, there is fire – NOT TRUE

The truth is that where there is smoke, there is smoke. Only God knows if there’s fire. One thing I’ve learnt is that no matter how many rumours or how bad the gossip, nobody knows the real story. Most of the time, we’ve only heard one side of the story and the Bible clearly says “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Proverbs 18 v 17) There may be lots of smoke, but only God knows what really happened and especially WHY! The Lord says we are not allowed to judge the motives of others. In other words, the minute we say “I know why they did that”, we are sinning. 1 Thes 2 v 4 says God alone examines the motives of our hearts.

Safe upon the solid rock, the ugly houses stand. Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand – NOT TRUE

This is a saying I lived by during the beginning of my University years and I’ve got to say: it is the most stupid of them all. No matter how shining your palace is, if it’s built on sand it’s gonna be rubble when the storms come - underwater, smashed up and broken to pieces. Because my husbands a builder, I’ve learnt that we need to check the ground under any house before we start. If it’s too sandy, we may build a “palace’ on it but it will crack and break and soon look like the Addams Family house. That’s what happens to any house that is not built on the foundation of Jesus Christ who the Bible calls “the rock” (1 Corinthians 10 v 4 and many other places in the Bible).

The Bible says: “Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the wind beats against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”- Matthew 7 v 24-27

Forgive, but don’t forget – NOT TRUE

1 Corinthians v 4 says that “Love keeps no record of being wronged.” This is a tough one. When someone wrongs us, as humans we love to put it in our pocket and save it for a rainy day. Next time they make us angry, we dust off everything that we’ve saved in our pocket and show it to them. Our little record of wrongs. God says no, we are not to keep a record of wrongs. With forgiveness, comes forgetting and most importantly, A CLEAN SLATE. Everyday. If God’s mercies are new every morning, then ours should be as well. New every morning for anyone who needs it. Mercy is not holding someone’s sin against them. God shows us mercy and we are to do the same.

He says He our sins from us “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103 v 12) and he says “I will never remember their sins.” (Hebrews 8 v 12).

We are to forgive in the “same way” that God forgives us, and that is remember it no more.

Trust no-one, love few, learn to paddle your own canoe – NOT TRUE

We are not supposed to love “few”, we are supposed to love everyone – even our enemies.

Jesus says “You have heard that the law says ‘love your neighbour’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children as your Father in heaven. For He gives sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there in that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind to only your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” – Matt 5 v 43 – 48

And now that we know we need to love, we know also that we always need to trust because in 1 Corinthians 13, it says “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” When you do not trust someone, you are not operating in God’s perfect love. We are called to trust and believe the best of people and God will judge and discipline. So often we try and take God’s job over...

God helps those who help themselves – NOT TRUE

Do you know how many people believe this little one? Some people even say it is in the Bible! It isn’t. The Bible in fact tells us the exact opposite of this. The fact is that God helps those who seek first His Kingdom:

“So don’t worry about these things saying “What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and He will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6 v 31

If you have a personality that likes to always have everything under your control , ie “I trust myself, more than I trust God” then this scripture will make you uncomfortable… But it is in the Bible and it is true. If we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, God promises to meet our needs. If we don’t believe Him, then we need to speak to Him and ask Him to help us in this area to trust Him enough to seek first His kingdom and not seek first “helping ourselves” because nowhere in the Bible does it say “God helps those who help themselves…”

Charity begins at home – NOT TRUE

This one basically means that we only look out for the needs of ourselves and our family. Everyone else must look out for themselves. This is so not how the Kingdom of God works. While we are definitely called to look after our family, we are also called to look after our family in the Kingdom of God.

“When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them.” - Romans 12 v 13

“And all the believers met together in one place, and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need” Acts 2 v 45

“If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to me, they will not be without their reward.” – Mark 9 v 41

“If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and he will repay you!” – Proverbs 19 v 17 (I love that one. What a beautiful promise from our Lord.)

Eye for an eye – NOT TRUE

Eye for an eye leaves the world blind. In the old testament, before Jesus had died and risen and paid the price for the sins of all who believe in Him, they use the words “eye for an eye.” In the New Testament, it says “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.” – Matt 5 v 38 - 42

And Romans 13 v 17 says “Do not repay evil with evil,” so the Bible is clear on this point.

Sum up

Nobody can live the way the Bible says if we are not in Christ and He is not in us. We can try, but we will fail. The standard is too high. The good news is that it is Christ who saves and the minute we are born again, we are made righteous! All our sins are washed away as far as the east is from the west. Do we then suddenly behave like perfect people – No. But because of the precious blood of Jesus that paid the price for every sin we will ever commit, God sees us as righteous. We’re still sinners, but it’s paid for. It’s remembered no more. And from the moment we are born again, God starts a process with us called sanctification. Christ living in us starts to show in our lives and people will start to see the evidence of that because we will do things differently to the way of the world. Outside of Christ, we have no chance of ever getting it right. No amount of “human will” is enough.

The starting point is here: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life.” So the one requirement is to believe, then God takes over and does the rest as you yield to Him and His ways.