“ish”
ish
“But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:18-19
My son has a saying now that he says as a response to almost everything, “ish”.
When I asked him the other day what “ish” means, he simply responded, “it means kinda”. It stunned me for a second and kept me motionless, I was utterly perplexed. He continued to explain that it was a feeling of somewhere between good and bad. Not more of one thing and not more than another thing.
We’ve asked him several questions over the course of several days and he kept responding with “ish”.
I’ve heard “ish” used before. Like a color for example might be blu-ish. Or what something tastes like or the quantity of something.
His response definitely made me think, but not before it finally wore out it’s welcome in our house and it was asked to leave.
I was thinking about “ish” and our Christianity and several questions came to mind.
What if we only had to believe-ish?
Could we have faith-ish?
What if God’s grace was grace-ish?
So many times I think Christian’s are somewhat in and somewhat not in. We want what makes us comfortable and secure, not to have to give up what we want or to lose anything we think has value.
We want to be the followers, without having to be Christ-like. We want to be thought-of and regarded-as Christian’s without the letting-go-of and dying-to-self parts. This is the “ish”.
We want to go to church, as long as we don’t have to go door knocking or come one more day.
We want everyone saved as long as it doesn’t interfere with poker night, football or hunting season.
We will give to the church as long as they don’t ask for anything else.
This is the “ish”.
Interestingly enough, nowhere in the Bible does it say that there is a limitation on what God will give. Nowhere does it say that salvation is eternal-ish. Nowhere does it say that you have to be good-ish, sinless-ish or righteous-ish.
Our salvation, our souls, the Gospel and His love for us - has zero to do with our merit. None of it has to do with what we can provide. It has everything to do with what God is providing and none of it is only some of it.
His mercy, love, forgiveness and grace will never end. And it definitely isn’t a kinda-ish type of love, mercy, grace and forgiveness.
The word “all” is used over 980 times just in the New Testament. The word “all” means - being or representing the entire or total number, amount or quantity of something.
“All” is the entirety of something.
This is the the kind of faith in someone that I want. An all-in type of faith. A faith that requires me only to believe. A faith that produces hope, returns love and eternal salvation and where my sins are not tallied.
I came as I was, because He said I could.
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
Matthew 22:37
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:31-32
“above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Ephesians 6:16
“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Ephesians 6:18
“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Philippians 4:12-13
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:37-39