Most of the writers I know are very conscientious about eliminating clichés from their work. It’s advice so oft-repeated as to be a cliché in itself: use fresh language. Choose words with impact. Remove stock phrases. Cut the clichés. It was some of the first formal writing instruction I ever received, way back in ninth grade Creative Writing. I remember the despair of trying to make my teacher understand that there was literally no other phrase in English that fit my poem besides “sands of time.”

*chuckles*

However, clichés are just as insipid in every day life when they steal the meaning away from us and fill our mouths with empty words. I’m talking about faith clichés. These are the words, phrases and ideas that we repeat until their real meaning is so dulled that we can’t even think of another way to say it. 

I realized it today on the word glory. 

Yep. I knew what I was saying by my words and prayers on giving God glory and glorifying His Name, didn’t I? Sure… except that when pressed, I couldn’t describe precisely what it meant. 

When I’m in that situation as a writer, I turn to my trusty friend Thesaurus.com… but for Bible study, I flipped to page 557 of the Holman Bible Dictionary for some fresh language on glory. Starting with the basic Hebrew word kabod, meaning heavy in weight, the entry on glory explained the various applications of the word. The verbed usage of “giving weight to, honoring” helped a lot. However, I really understood it when I read that “to give glory” means to recognize the importance or the weight.  

I don’t give Him glory that He doesn’t already possess — I recognize it and tell others about it so they’ll recognize it too! That very simple exercise in defining something that I thought I already knew resulted in a deeper understanding of what it is I’m doing when I ask Him that my work would “glorify His Name.” It reminds me of Jesus’ words: “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:7-8).

What About You? Have you got any faith clichés? Leave a comment!