The ‘Amen’ Life: A Fresh Approach to Walking Daily With Christ

When was the first time you heard someone say “amen”? When was the first time that you said “amen” out loud? For most of us, we can’t even remember. The word seems to have been with us our whole lives. But what does it really mean, and what are we really saying?

I am convinced that if we understand the true meaning of Amen, it will change our attitude and our prayer life. When we start to embrace Amen as more than just an ending to a prayer, it will change how we live. It’s time to embrace an Amen Life.

Say Amen to What?

Many people shout it in church after a really good point of singing or preaching. Some preachers say it like it’s a punctuation mark. Others use it to elicit a response. “Can a I get an ‘amen’?” Just about all of us end our prayers with it. But is that what Amen means? Is it really the proper response to say, “Amen, sister,” when asked how you liked the chocolate cake?

According to any standard dictionary, Amen is an exclamation that means “so be it.” In the Lexham Bible Dictionary we get a more complete definition. The word comes from Hebrew and means “reliable, trustworthy or firm.” When it’s used as a verb, it means “may it be.” As an adjective it means “true or faithful.” As an adverb, it means “truly.”

Just ponder that for a moment and ask yourself, “Can I, or should I, say ‘amen’ to that?” For example, someone in church shouts, “Amen!” after a good song. Do they really mean that the song was true and faithful? Probably. But are they also saying, “May it be?” When we say “amen,” are we really saying it like Jesus prayed in the garden, “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42)? That’s what Amen is meant to proclaim: “So be it. Let it be your will and not mine.”

When Mary, the mother of Jesus, was visited by the Angel Gabriel, he told her that she was going to give birth to the Messiah. This was her response:

“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38)

Without getting too technical, her words “let it be” are a derivation of Amen. Mary demonstrated the Amen Life. She completely surrendered to what God had for her.

The Amen Life in Action

If we really want to embrace Amen as more than just a word we say out of habit, we must adopt a new attitude. Look at Paul’s example in his letter to the Corinthian church:

“As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been yes and no. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not yes and no, but in him it is always yes. For all the promises of God find their yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” (2 Cor. 1:18-20)

Paul’s first call here is to not be wishy-washy. Don’t be “yes and no” because Jesus is firm and reliable. Jesus is the embodiment of Amen. Think of how Jesus interacted with people. He was always truthful and never played politics. He was always Amen.

Second, Paul says that all the promises of God find their yes is Jesus. Think of any promise. Like David writes in Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” We find our yes in Jesus. His very life is Amen.

Because Jesus lived the Amen Life, we can live the Amen Life. We can face our problems and issues and say to God, “So be it.” Think of how freeing that will be, when we start to embrace this attitude. If I get a flat tire and it’s raining and I’m running late, I can say amen.

Does this sound like crazy talk to you? Consider what James says:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Can you hear the whisper of Amen in James’ words? Can you hear “so be it”? Trials and testing lead to steadfastness and completeness. Saying “let it be” to God leads us to become more reliable, trustworthy and firm. In other words, when you say amen to whatever you are going through, you will become more Amen in your attitude and actions.

Amen to Them

So what does this look like every day? Quite simply, it looks like us living more like Jesus. Which is the goal of spiritual growth, right? When we put God’s will at the center of our lives, I can guarantee we will become more focused on others. Because God’s focus is always on people, we will be drawn to reaching others.

The Amen Life means that you will always find time to reach out to your neighbors because you see every encounter as a divine appointment. If you find yourself at the mechanic because your car has broken down, you say amen to God’s schedule over yours. Who knows—maybe someone there needs to hear about God? Perhaps the mechanic is going through something and needs to talk with someone who cares.

Consider Jesus’ words in the gospel of John:

“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” (John 12:26)

Do you hear the amen in this verse? If you say amen to him and serve him, you will find yourself where he is. And where he is, you will find people in need. Jesus is at the rescue mission or the hospital. He’s with hurting parents and the broken single mother. Can you say amen to them?

What’s stopping you from readjusting your life, starting today? What’s stopping you from living the Amen Life? Every time that you say amen, consider the implications. Think about what you’re saying “so be it” to. When you find yourself faced with any situation, good or bad, embrace the Amen Life.

Jeff Chaves is a freelance writer and pastor. He has been married to Peggy for more than 32 years, and they have four children. He is the pastor of Northpointe Community Church in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Jeff Chaves
Jeff Chaves

Jeff Chaves is pastor of CHRCH Online based in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

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