There’s a car in my parking lot with a bumper sticker which reads,
“Feeling lost? Give your heart to God.”
It’s a very encouraging statement, but I can’t help but roll my eyes whenever I see it. Too often I’ve heard Christians use this cliché as an easy escape from difficult questions about life. It’s reached the point where it almost feels like a product from an infomercial.
Listen, small proverbs can be helpful, but real faith takes more than a slogan on a bumper sticker. Matt Smethurst of The Gospel Coalition agrees, which is why he created a list of five Christian clichés believers should stop using. A few of his top selections (as well as my own) are listed below, starting with…
“When God closes a door, he opens a window.”
“I appreciate the heart behind this statement. It’s true, after all, that God can do anything he pleases (Jer. 32:27), that he sometimes redirects our course (Prov. 16:9), and that he never abandons his own (Heb. 13:5). But if God closes a door in your life, there’s no guarantee he’ll open a window. He may not open anything. He may want you to realize you have the wrong address.”
“Scripture is filled with examples of the Spirit closing doors, windows, and any other conceivable entrance to keep one from heading in the wrong direction or at the wrong time (e.g., Prov. 16:9; 19:21; Acts 16:6–7)… Maybe he wants you to re-evaluate in light of affinity, ability, and opportunity—your internal desires, your confirmed giftings, and your actual options.”
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