Bimbo.

A bimbo is defined as a very attractive, but stupid woman. Additionally, some definitions include that this stupid, attractive woman intentionally seek to have sex with much older, wealthy men.

Really, no matter how you look at this word, the definition really isn’t a positive one. Calling someone a bimbo would always be an insult.

But, Bimbo is also a bread company. Here is a isle display I keep seeing in the grocery store and every time, I find myself perplexed. Totally perplexed.

If you look at the first image closely, you’ll see Bimbo wants to make it clear that the name of the company is pronounced, “Beembo!” I would have to beg the question, if you have a perfectly good phonetic name, why not use it?

There must have been a meeting somewhere when this company was starting. Someone said, “We’re going to name the company Bimbo.” Yet for some reason, no one spoke up and said, “Bimbo, really?”

Now examine the second image closely. Bimbo bread is “packed with goodness” and “Baked with love”. What? This company is full of stupid marketing choices.

I’m glad I finally got that off my chest.

I don’t often make video blogs about things of any particular consequence. Today, the video blog is about something I feel is pretty important. Christians, especially, really need to stop using the word “gay” to describe things they don’t like. Let me explain.

During prayer last night a friend prayed for someone that they would be able to “continue their relationship with God.” The phrase is apt. We most certainly must have a relationship with God. There’s no question about it.

But what struck me was how that phrasing may have, over time, diluted the real concept behind it.

Now, as the friends I was praying with said, you may think that I’m simply nitpicking an arbitrary thing the church uses in its regular vernacular. But I still think that it’s a bit more significant than that. Although well within the grey area.

See, every other thing in our lives which we would describe as having a ‘relationship with’, pales in comparison to what is expected of our relationship with God. I have a relationship with my Dog. I have a relationship with my friends. I have a relationship with my family. Perhaps the closest we come is our relationship with our wife or husband. But even that, at least in today’s culture, is really not even close.

Our relationship with God is actually to encompass absolutely every aspect of our lives. Our thoughts, feelings, actions, decisions. Not a single one is to be outside that relationship with God. Even in marriage, there are some things that remain personal, albeit nowhere near as many as any other relationship. But with God, there isn’t even a single one. If anything, it shouldn’t be, “Do you have a relationship with Christ”, but “Do you have the relationship with Christ”.

But, I think it may be that the word ‘relationship’ simply isn’t strong enough. The term is too broad. And, to use it so consistently to describe what it is between us and God may actually help to numb things that ought to be sensitive.

I submit that a better word may be ‘servitude’ or even ‘slavery’. In scripture, we are repeatedly called to be ‘slaves of Christ’. This is difficult for some people to swallow since those words hold a lot of weight for other reasons. But it’s clearly a powerful metaphor and one that may serve us as a church better than what we currently employ.

But regardless of what words we use to describe it, we have to remember the point is total submission to, trust in, and love for Jesus Christ.

In circles of people with extremely charismatic language, I often hear people say things things like, “The Lord is telling me…” or “I feel like the Lord is saying…”. Whether I agree with that or not is not so much in discussion right now. But what is actually said is.

Before Jesus’ death, he told his disciples that his death was necessary that the Holy Spirit would come. He explained the Spirit’s function in John 16:14:

“When the Spirit of truth comes…[v14] He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

When the Spirit of God speaks to us, it is about Jesus; of Jesus. It is about God’s Word. The Spirit will not speak to us about things that aren’t taught to us from God’s word. This is why the Puritans understood that the modern gift of prophecy is when a person, usually a teacher, is given insight and understanding of God’s word.

You might not agree with that last paragraph, and that’s alright.

What bothers me is when people use the concept of the Spirit’s speaking to a believer as a means to make a point, or convince hearers of their opinions or personal beliefs.

For example, If you’ve dated within the Church, you’ve probably heard something like, “God is telling me I need to be single.” Or maybe you’ve just heard of people saying that kind of thing. In charismatic worship settings (which I tend to enjoy, by the way), you might’ve heard someone say something like, “The Spirit is telling us we need to lift our hands,” or “The Spirit wants us repent of [fill in the blank].”

I strongly believe this language is an abuse of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Well, at least about 90% of the time anyway.

When the Spirit speaks, it is to glorify Jesus—namely in the Word of God. It is more sound to say, “God’s Word says [fill in the blank]—I believe we are guilty of this, and should repent.” If this message is truly from the Spirit, this language will still cut people’s conscience and lead to repentance. And if it doesn’t, either people’s hearts are hard or else the Spirit wasn’t highlighting that issue in specific.

Or, perhaps, “I have been reading the word of God and praying and I feel that I need to be single for some time.”

When the Spirit speaks, it is from God’s word, which is about Jesus, of Jesus. And the language chosen is important. There are at least two major dangers in speaking with this kind of hyper-spiritual language.

1. Human beings are a complicated mess of flesh and emotion and ideas. Unless the the word being spoken can be thoroughly confirmed by God’s written word, it can only truly be spoken with some marginal level of confidence. Anything more than that is probably a confidence conjured from elsewhere inside us. Speaking with such presumption is clearly dangerous. Prophets of the old testament who prophesy falsely were to be put to death. That’s not the case today, but the principal stands. Speaking for God when God may not be speaking is big deal.

2. Human beings are also rational, intellectual creatures. These are gifts given to us by God. And, we have a thorough and complete written Word from God. When language such as “God is saying…” is used, it effectively closes the door to disagreement and rational discussion. It makes it impossible for “iron to sharpen iron”.

It is wisdom that we would use our language carefully when talking about the Spirit’s speaking to us and to our congregation. When the Spirit speaks, he is teaching what he has already said in God’s Word to the church.

We should be so hasty as to assume the Spirit is saying what we might think he’s saying but be confident that if he is speaking, it will be heard even if we don’t use such confident language.