Dr. Ron Reflects: “WHATEVER …”

“That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.” – Ephesians 4:14

One of the most popular words in our present day culture is “whatever” (i.e. anything goes, it doesn’t matter, don’t take a stand on anything, be willing to tolerate [modern translation – accept equally] all ideas, beliefs, values, truths); whatever! You don’t need to know the truth, and if you should find it, don’t act on it, just let it lie; let the sleeping dog lie. A whatever life is built on a foundation of uncertainties. It’s a wishy-washy, go with the flow, bend with the wind, back-tracking, flip-flopping kind of life.

But, we don’t live in a whatever world. Reality teaches that we live in a world of certainties, and I am thankful for the absolute decisions that are made each and every day. There was a time when the word whatever was not well known. People were willing to stand on absolute moral values, and a handshake was all that was needed to complete an important transaction. Honesty and trust were common traits with the vast majority of people. We knew right from wrong and tried to do what is right according to God’s word. The Bible has much to say about why it is not a whatever world. Here’s a sample:

“All His precepts are sure.” (Ps 111:7) “That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth.” (Prov. 22:21) “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Is. 5:20) Woe is not a word you want to hear from God down the road. “Let your yes be yes and your no be no.” (Mt. 5:37) Yes or no, not maybe; just answer the question. “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:16) That’s God talking again!

So the next time you start to say whatever, pause long enough to be certain of your response, and to express yourself accordingly. Speak the truth.




About Ron Marionneaux, PhD 27 Articles
Dr. Marionneaux is the author of our "Dr. Ron Reflects" column. He is a long-time college professor and church elder whose hard fought experience and insight are an invaluable asset for understanding the world in which we live.