"Never say never." That always strikes me as funny. Um, 'scuse me. You just did. But apparently, it sounds cool so of course we don't stop and think about if it makes sense...?
When I stop and ponder it, 'never' is a very strong word. As defined by Merriam-Webster, to put it in its harshest terms, 'never' means 'not ever; not in any degree; not under any condition.' Whew, it's pretty clear that this is an very long-lasting, if not eternal, condition.
But most of the time when I say 'never,' I don't really mean it. "I will never eat junk food again!" Ha. "I will never procrastinate on homework again!" Ha ha. "I will never again get so busy that I don't have time to exercise!" Ha ha ha. 'Never' is a little word that we tend to throw around flippantly and that is almost always used in negative terms. It focuses on what one is losing and on something that one does not want to do again, i.e. never again procrastinating on homework.
Recently there have been circumstances where I find myself dwelling on the fact that something will never happen again. It can actually be pretty depressing! "I will never have this opportunity again." "This will never be a possibility again.''
I have come to the realization that most of the time this is self-centered. Of course, when using 'never' to describe something that has actual potential to help your body (cue illustration of not eating junk food again), 'never' can be a beneficial thing. But most of the time when we say something will never happen, it is focusing inward and on what physically benefits us.
It struck me that I don't think about the positive 'nevers' often enough. "I will never have to bear God's wrath for my sin.'' Never. Ever. ''I will never be separated from God forever in hell.'' Never. Ever. ''I will never have to bear the loss of parents who do not know Christ.'' Never. Ever.
When looking at it this way, 'never' can be turned around to be a very positive thing! I can change ''I will never have this opportunity again'' to ''I will never have to wonder again if this activity/action would be beneficial for me because God has said no.''
This may seem silly, but it has helped me to have a more well-rounded, trusting view of God's purpose and sovereignty for my life. Rather than focusing on the 'nevers' that will never benefit me physically, I can focus on the 'nevers' that will never have bearing on my eternal security. Everything becomes brighter at the foot of the cross. May Jesus take our 'nevers' in this life and use them for His glory!
