“I cannot tell a lie,” young George Washington admitted. “I did cut down the cherry tree with my hatchet.” Of course, Washington never said that, nor did Lincoln or Einstein say half the memes attributed to them. Misquotes and false attributions litter the web. While researching for my recently published devotional book, I discovered that Christians of the past, too, have had words put into their mouths.
Misquoting Christian Figures
For example, I love this quote from David Brainerd: “Lord, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am.” This prayer fits Brainerd’s life perfectly, and I wanted to include it in my chapter highlighting how this early missionary lived God’s promises—except I could find no proof Brainerd actually said this. I borrowed Washington’s proverbial hatchet and chopped the apocryphal statement from my manuscript.[1]
Ion Keith-Falconer, upon launching his ministry in Yemen in the late 1800s, purportedly said, “I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light.” What a brilliant way of expressing his passion for taking the gospel where few had ever heard of Christ! A thousand blog posts ring with these words, but as I perused the original sources, none included this amazing quote. With reluctance, I axed it from my book.[2]
Misquoting God
Historical figures are not the only ones being misquoted in homes and churches across the world: God Himself is too. We put words in God Almighty’s mouth. We often catch ourselves thinking or even saying the following “quotes.”
- “God helps those who help themselves.” That’s a maxim from Little House on the Prairie, not the Word of God. Maybe we phrase it more spiritually: “I’ll do my best and trust God for the rest.” But shouldn’t we be trusting God from the very beginning (John 15:4-5)?[3]
- “This, too, shall pass” is often true, but it’s not a quote from Scripture. (”Thou shalt not pass” is also not in the Bible—that’s Gandalf facing the Balrog in The Lord of the Rings. And it’s also misquoted.)
- “Look within yourself, and you will find the truth” promises nearly every movie. However, God’s says that, if you look within, you’ll find something else, and it’s deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).[4]
- “Believe, and you can do anything” is Disney, not doctrine, and not remotely true, no matter how much pixie dust you apply.
- “You can have your best life now.” That’s the prosperity gospel, a false gospel that God never authored. And if this is my best life, does that mean I’m not going to heaven? Shouldn’t heaven be better than the best life I can imagine here on earth?
- “A loving God would never [fill in the blank].” This quote can be finished with almost any phrase, and nearly always that phrase will not be something God said Himself.
- Then there’s Sarah Young’s book Jesus Calling, where the author writes in first person as if Jesus were talking to you . . . But He’s not. She is.
Go to the source. Base your thinking on God’s Word. Beware of repeating what you have heard without verifying that it is true to Scripture. May the words of wisdom we repeat and the maxims we live by come from God Himself, untainted and untwisted by error.
Let us not misquote God.
[1] If you would like to read some genuine, inspiring quotes from David Brainerd, check out my new missions devotional, Daring Devotion: A 31-Day Journey with those who Lived God’s Promises. It is also available on Amazon.
[2] If you find an original source for either of these quotes, please cite that source in the comments below!
[3] “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
[4] “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)