Awesome, Really?


It isn't awesome how we misuse superlatives, especially if we know the Lord!! This 1-minute devotion explains.


"Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite." ~ C.S. Lewis 


Lewis understood a common writing and speaking mistake: using big words when simple ones will do and using God-descriptive superlatives too liberally.

Awesome is perhaps the most misused. We use it for a delicious hamburger, for a loved one, for a vacation—and for God. 

Are we crazy using the same superlative for God and hamburgers?

The definition of awesome: extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear. Synonyms: breathtaking, awe-inspiring, staggering... 

I don't think anyone or anything is truly awesome except God. 

Wonderful, yes. Awesome, no. 

Maybe it's not important, but I see our Christian culture growing more in awe of ourselves and less in awe of God. And I wonder if we've grown to believe that "awesome" applies to things it doesn't. 

Sometimes wording matters. What do you think?

Check out these Scriptures and the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words used to describe God. Afterward, if you want to be blessed, check out:

💙6 Minutes of Joy in Jesus.

It isn't awesome how we misuse superlatives, especially if we know the Lord!! This 1-minute devotion explains.

The Hebrew word used in these Old Testament verses is 'Yare.'  

It means to inspire reverence, godly fear, astonishment, and awe in God's people and fright in God's enemies. 

Deuteronomy 10:17: "For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes."

Nehemiah 1:5: "LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments."  

Psalm 68:35: "You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!"  

Psalm 66:1-5: "Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name. Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!'" 

Deuteronomy 7:21: "Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God." 

The specific word "awesome" is not used in the New Testament, but similar words are used. For example, the word "majesty" is the Greek word megaloprepés which means "magnificent, superb, transcendent, majestic." We might say, "God is so wonderful that He is beyond description. No superlative is adequate to describe Him." This word is used two times in the verses below:

2 Peter 1:16-17: "For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"

Bible Love Notes

6 comments:

  1. JennaSeptember 9, 2013 at 8:10 PM

    Wow, Gail, great post. Definitely something to think about...

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  2. CeilSeptember 10, 2013 at 10:02 AM

    Hi Gail! I love your last lines about maybe we are growing more in awe of ourselves.

    But, I also think it's sloppy language usage. We keep trying to outdo each other in describing a hamburger, and run it all the way up to 'awesome'. I think it's done innocently, but I like the idea that there are some words that are more appropriate to God than to meals.

    Happy Tuesday!
    Ceil

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  3. Miss SarahSeptember 16, 2013 at 10:24 AM

    Wow! It's so encouraging to see someone else thinking this same thing! Thank you for posting this. It sometimes makes me cringe to hear the word "awesome" coming SO often out of our young people's mouths for EVERYTHING! Thanks for the reminder to be careful with our words.

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  4. Sarah D.September 17, 2013 at 1:00 AM

    My mother taught me that "only God is Awesome". Now, many years later, I have been teaching it to my children. My oldest, 5 years old, tends to tell anyone that uses the word "awesome": "Only God is Awesome!" =)
    Out of the mouths of babes...

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    Replies
    1. NaomiSeptember 19, 2013 at 12:27 PM

      That sounds like us! I was also taught that same thing, and my (almost) 5 year old was informing his friend at church that "We don't say that. God is awesome!" It was so cute to hear, and it's true. Way too many things are spoken of as "awesome" but God only is truly deserving of such a word. Our burger is not "awesome" but it may be very tasty. :) If we get some good news, it is not "awesome", but it is wonderful. Etc. :)

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  5. UnknownJanuary 28, 2017 at 3:59 PM

    I have always wondered why the word love is used so loosely also. In the example above, using the word awesome to describe God and a hambuger is construed as disrespectful. May it then be surmised that saying I love hamburgers or anything else, is also disrespectful to God.

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