John 5:17 (NIV) “In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

Do you use the words “always” and “never” to describe a habit or a character trait you or someone close to you may have? For example: “He is NEVER going to change. He will ALWAYS be that way.”

I have used these very words more times than I can count. Something happens and I revert to the old adage “THAT will NEVER happen.” Or “I am ALWAYS going to be this way.” Or “She will NEVER change.”

This morning, I had to go to the dictionary to determine what these words actually meant.

always (adv): Perpetually; throughout all time. 2. Continually; without variation.

never (adv): Not ever; not at any time; at no time. It refers to the past or the future.

Whoa… did you catch that? These definitions tell me these two words, when used to in the context of my examples above, offer little hope for the person plagued by the ALWAYS and/or NEVER statement. As I looked through the lens of the Bible this morning, I was reminded of the simple truth that GOD is ALWAYS at work. Now this is an ALWAYS I like. If God is ALWAYS at work in me and in the people around me…then people CAN change.Based on this morning’s revelation, I am going to, with Christ’s help, eliminate the words ALWAYS and NEVER from my vocabulary once and for all as they relate to negativity about me or those around me.

Moving forward, the ALWAYS and NEVER statements I choose to focus on are the ones found in the truth of God’s word:

John 5:17 – My Father is ALWAYS at work

Deuteronomy 31:8 – The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.