Always and Never

Exaggeration. We’re all prone to do a bit of exaggerating from time to time. I find kids especially good at it.

I overheard a conversation recently between two kids where the words ‘always’ popped up quite a few times, as well as the word ‘never’.

“I would never do that.”

“She always does that.”

Obvious exaggeration going on.

On reflection, "always" and "never" are some of the most dangerous words to use carelessly. They almost beg people to ask, "Really? You’ve always done it correctly? You really mean you have never said that? Never, ever?”

As a writer, I’m pretty careful to avoid using them, replacing them with ‘usually’ or ‘often’ or ‘rarely’.

Yet I do love the words always and never. The alternatives seem less definitive, almost watery. Always and never hold so much optimism, or confidence. Like ‘I could always be happy’. Or ‘I could never fail’.

But sadly these words don’t live up to their promise – it’s pretty rare to find a true always or a true never.

Yet I can declare that I have found and proved one of those rarities in some of the final words of Jesus, according to Matthew’s Gospel.

Bidding farewell to his disciples, he left them with a promise; a promise not just for them but for Jesus-followers throughout the centuries. He said, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.” Implying that even though he was going in bodily form, his Spirit would be with them, and with us, always.

It was a definite ‘always’!

Further on in the Bible, in a letter to the Hebrews, the author Paul reminds them that God had made a promise: ‘I will never leave you. I will never abandon you’.

A great promise. An awesome ‘never’!

So these always and nevers should give us a good measure of confidence. We can know that whatever life is throwing at us, whether it is hard or sad or tiring or frightening, that Jesus is always with us.

And that no matter how hopeless the future may seem, or how crooked and rocky the road ahead looks, we can take comfort, strength & courage from the fact that God has promised to never leave us.

I can think of one more always and never, perhaps the best always and never of all. To do with heaven. Where the Bible tells us that we will always be in God’s very presence, and we will never be sad or unwell or distressed.

Now that’s an always and a never to look forward to.

 


www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington