Always and Never

As a 20 year old I sat next to Kristen in pre-marital counseling wide-eyed. The pastor knew we were crazy for one another and he said, “Make sure that you limit the times you say “always” and “never.” 

That’s why I chuckled when I read Seth Godin this morning.

“I’ll never buy from you again.”
“I’ll never vote for that candidate if my candidate loses.”
“I’ll never invest in that stock.”

Never seems like a really long time, doesn’t it? Practically forever.

Here’s the thing. People who say ‘never’ actually mean, “until my situation or the story changes materially.” Making bad decisions in the now to honor absolute statements in the past isn’t particularly sustainable. Consumers, short-sighted as they are sometimes, are able to realize this pretty quickly.

In fact, the only thing shorter than ‘never’ is ‘always.’

How true is that in your church? In your youth group? 

Leaders lead people where they “never” wanted to go or “always” avoided. It’s not a popularity contest. Follow God above all else.