WHATEVER!

I know a lot of people that use the word, “whatever”, in an odd way. It’s almost as if they don’t give a hoot about what you’ve just said to them. It seems to be a put down. They don't care about what you said. The term seems to be used to dismiss a previous statement and express indifference.  It is usually considered offensive and impolite.

 

In recent times the word has become a very popular way to express oneself.  It is used to block further conversation on a subject. It leaves the other person without a way to respond.  Anything we suggest can be blocked by the retort of "whatever". In today’s social media on the internet it is used by shorthand in typing w/e, meaning whatever.

People sometimes say, “Whatever”, when they have lost an argument. Maybe sometimes they say the w/e word as a way of being OK with what you’ve just said, but really don’t have a horse in the race. At any rate, I guess we’re stuck with this slang usage for awhile.

There are plenty of other proper uses of the word whatever that don’t carry quite the negativity. It is used in phrases like: take whatever you want; whatever he says, they won't believe him; whatever do you mean by that; do whatever you like; you have our support, whatever you decide; whatever decision he made I would support it; and take whatever action is needed, to name a few.

I’ve done a search of Holy Scripture and find that Philippians 4:8 is packed with the word, whatever.  Let’s take a look at how it is used by St. Paul: ^“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Well now, that seems to put a different twist on the word, whatever. Here St. Paul uses it to target the things in our lives that are beneficial to us in our seeking the Lord. In Mark 13:11, we see another use of whatever: “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”
Mark also uses the, whatever, word in 11:24; “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” As it turns out the, whatever word, is used many, many times in Holy Scripture. The following are more examples:

Genesis 2:19 “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.”  Genesis 8:19 “Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark.”  Genesis 21:12 “But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.” Genesis 31:16  “For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
 

This search of Holy Scripture for the whatever word, could go on forever. It is used in so many ways, but doesn’t seem to stand alone very well, as our modern culture sometimes uses it. It seems to need a lot of help in its proper use. While some use it to discount or ignore, its use in the Bible certainly helps raise important things to our attention.

The next time someone states the one word, “whatever”, a good response might be Hallelujah!