Being “Used” by God and other phrases

Language is a wonderful gift and when used well it is a vehicle to communicate love, acceptance, grace, goodness and wholeness to heal and restore others. It can of course be used to tear down, divide, destroy and discourage. I’ve wondered lately whether the usage of Christian jargon in our language is really helpful or a hindrance to people who are unfamiliar with it. I’m particularly thinking of those souls that haven’t been raised in church and perhaps don’t know the Lord yet. How many times have we heard in a sermon or read on a newsletter words and phrases like “sanctified”, “washed in the blood of the Lamb”, “used by God”, “cleansed by His Word” and so on? Have you ever wondered how that sounds to someone who has never heard it before? Let’s take “used by God” as an example. Have you thought about what it would be