Awesomeness is Awesome

 

“Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? Exodus 15:11

 

My brother-in-law, Eddie, is a steak-and-potatoes, man’s man kind of guy with two daughters.  He was happy to turn over his yardwork golf cart to our son.  I don’t know much about the actual ride around his Uncle Eddie’s yard. What I know is that my (then 11 year old) son got in the car as we were leaving my sister’s house and told me, “Driving that golf cart was awesome.”

Always wanting to grab the “teachable moment.” I responded, “Well, I’m sure it was fun but we use awesome as a word to describe God, so can we really call driving a golf cart awesome?”

He sat back and silently thought about it for a minute. Then he replied, “Awesome may be too small a word for God, but driving that golf cart was awesome!” (He’s a writer today, still thinking about words!)

I was reminded of this conversation recently in a situation where a mother told her young child what an “awesome job” she had done at something. Not long after that, another woman responded with “Awesome!” when someone agreed to meet at a time fitting her schedule.

I felt like my son in the backseat of my car as he examined his use of the word. What other words would fit the situation? At eleven, he couldn’t find any (or he did but he dismissed them as not big enough to describe the joy he experienced driving for the first time).

I am all for encouraging a child who has done a good job. Is a well done job, “awesome?” I, too, enjoy when a plan comes together, working for everyone involved. Is it “awesome” when that happens, or is it just convenient or satisfying? Perhaps “sweet” would be a good response in that situation.

Awesome is a word the Bible uses to describe God or something He has done.  When we measure ourselves by His standard, we will always be lacking. He is God, after all!

I recently heard Chuck Swindoll teaching about the holiness of God.  When he hears that a church is a “New Testament” church, or a person does not regard the Old Testament as relevant or necessary, his concern is that they will not have a good understanding of the holiness of God. It seems that we do not reverence or stand in awe of God as we are taught to in the Old Testament (and the New).

The Psalms instruct us to praise God for His awesome deeds and His awesome Name (reputation):

• Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.” Psalm 66:3
• Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! Psalm 99:3

Our deeds and our names cannot hold a candle to the Almighty, Most High, Creator and Sustainer of the world. He is, indeed, Awesome.

There are not varying degrees of awe. We are in awe of God or we are not.

Here is my own, personal plea: Can we please reserve at least this one word to describe God and His Works?