When I first started working at a church, I devoured a recommended book about effective communication. One of my key takeaways? Don't fall into "churchy lingo."
The gist of the concept was that order to be welcoming to people newer to God or your specific church, you have to explain yourself and avoid the insider language that make people feel like they're on the outside. Acronyms were a huge no-no and "Christian-ese" needed to either be avoided or explained so you don't leave people wondering what you're talking about because you assumed they understand everything.
I took that message to heart, and to this day, I try to be aware of that concept. AND YET....
The other night at the dinner table, I said to my son: "God is for you," as a response to something he brought up. My husband paused and then asked our son: "Do you even know what God is for you means?"
Touche, Tony. Touche. (And thank you).
I'm glad he pointed it out because it's SO EASY to fall into the lingo and assume everyone knows what you're talking about, and forget the depth and meaning.
What Does "God Is For You" Actually Mean?
When I say "God is for you," I'm not just saying He's going to give you your every wish and command. The Bible says that God is for you in these ways:
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He has your best interests at heart. The Bible tells us that God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
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He's invested in your growth. Experientially, it seems like a lot of those "working out for the good" are displayed by refining our own character. When we're renewed by God, it doesn't stop with"he saved me from my sin" (justification), but his miraculous work continues by changing us throughout our life to make us more like Jesus (sanctification). (Philippians 2:12-13, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Philippians 1:6, John 15:1-5)
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He wants you to flourish and prosper. God wants us to thrive, not just in earthly terms, but with true, spiritual flourishing that starts now and lasts throughout eternity. (John 10:10, Psalm 1:1-3, Psalm 92:12-13)
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Jesus intercedes for us. Our "big brother" stands at the throne of God, interceding on our behalf, bringing our requests to the Father. He is actively advocating for us. (Romans 8:34, Hebrews 7:25, 1 John 2:1). And on top of that, Jesus presents us completely holy God - which means there's no blemish he sees or accusation he has against us (that demeaning talk you hear in your head is Satan lying to you) (Colossians 1:22).
*Note - that doesn't mean the Spirit won't convict you. Conviction and condemnation are two different things. I've found it helpful to discern between the two with mentors and friends.
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We can cling to his promises. He has called us (John 6:44, 2 Timothy 1:9, Romans 8:30, claimed us as His own (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13-14), He promises to complete the good work He has started in us (Philippians 1:6), and as he tells us over and over throughout Scripture, He won't abandon us ever (too many verses to link).
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The Holy Spirit is His guarantee of Eternity with God. God has given us the Holy Spirit as a deposit, a seal of ownership, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22, Ephesians 1:13-14) So we can take heart and feel assured when we notice things of the Spirit happening in us and through us because it reminds us we have a guarantee from God.
So, the next time you hear or say "God is for you," I hope you'll remember the depth of that simple phrase. He has a never-ending, all-in, fully-secured, abounding with grace, full of delight kind of love for you.
If this is hard for you to believe (or maybe like me, you believe it intellectually, but it's hard to functionally and practically believe it as your default), reading Gentle and Lowly helped me in many ways to absorb more of this depth of how God's love for me.
I also suggest listening to and worshipping with Elevation Worship's song, "God is not against me" to help speak the truth to yourself.
