How oxymoronic are you?

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An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. We use them often!

Here’s some examples of oxymorons:

  • A fine mess …
  • A little pregnant …
  • A new classic …
  • Absolutely unsure …
  • Abundant poverty …
  • Accurate estimate …
  • All natural artificial flavor …
  • Approximate solution …
  • Authentic reproduction …
  • Awfully good …
  • Among the first …
  • Alone together …

Let me give you one more. I noted it was used as the description of a ministry, which stated about itself: “All the encouragement without the guilt.”

Certainly a Christian ministry doesn’t want to be a source of false guilt, but here’s the contradiction to the statement that makes it so oxymoronic: as Christians, we also do not want to encourage behavior that the Holy Spirit generates real guilt for.

Put another way, not all ideas, thoughts, emotions, or behaviors should be encouraged. Some are a real and appropriate cause for guilt. It is vital that Christians not try to alleviate the guilt on someone that was put there by the Holy Spirit; that guilt is a source of calling that person to repentance. That guilt may be a vital tool for saving them.

Yet, we’ve replaced such sound biblical understanding with a worldly “positive thinking” philosophy that leads us to overlook the “negative” and only accentuate the “positive.” Nothing can be more positive than a person coming to grips with sin in their lives, repenting, and making a complete surrender of their lives to God.

That often doesn’t happen when others encourage any and all behavior. We need to love others enough to NOT encourage or simply “overlook” ungodly behavior. In fact, Paul correlates “good teaching” or accurate teaching of scripture as a vital source of encouragement:

“Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching,” 2 Timothy 4:2.

Are you encouraging sin in someone’s life? Or in your own? How can life be more encouraging by acknowledging and responding to guilt?

Scotty