No matter what.
I admit the phrase bothered me in the past. And it stirred questions in my soul.
Such as “No matter what” means what exactly? Maybe to never back down. Or, never give up or give in. Perhaps, to keep going in the face of opposition or dire circumstances.
And I assumed the subject and context both played into the meaning.
Still, if you are anything like me, the phrase conjures up a lot of unknowns. And even a few knowns we’d rather not deal with.
So I put together a list of God’s truths and promises in 4 no-matter-what scenarios.
I searched for the exact phrase in Scripture and found it several places in The Living Bible Translation. Some of my favorite Scriptures translated with such powerful words. Because when it comes to no matter what, some things matter, some things matter most.
No Matter What
1.) No matter what today brings, trust in God’s strength and love.
“Patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:4-5)
2.) No matter what tomorrow holds, claim God’s promises and praise His name.
“I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of His glories and grace.” (Psalm 34:1)
No matter what today brings, trust in God’s strength and love. No matter what tomorrow holds, claim God's promises and praise His name. @FridayKaren Click To TweetWhat Matters
3.) No matter what accolades we receive or our earthly status, bask in the light of Jesus’ glory.
“In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all.” (Colossians 3:11)
4.) No matter what we do in life or for God’s kingdom, live in a manner worthy of His calling.
“Asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better. We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens—always full of the joy of the Lord.” (Colossians 1:10-11)
No matter what accolades we receive or our earthly status, bask in the light of Jesus' glory. No matter what we do in life or for God's kingdom, live in a manner worthy of His calling. @FridayKaren Click To TweetWhat Matters Most
So, in the end, it boils down to life in Christ now and life in heaven later. Anything of eternal significance and our witness in Christ trumps things of lesser value.
At the beginning we discussed how the subject and context plays into the meaning behind “no matter what.” Jesus is our subject. Eternal is our context.
Why never back down? Jesus.
Why never give up or give in? Jesus.
How to keep going in the face of opposition or dire circumstances? Jesus.
What matters most? Jesus.
And why no matter what? Jesus.
*All verses are TLB, bold emphasis is mine.
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Karen,
Love this post. No matter what we face, Jesus is always the answer. So often we/I rely on self sufficiency, but when Jesus is all that you have, you learn that Jesus is all that you truly need. Thank you for redirecting us back to Him in our joy and in our sorrows. Jesus IS the answer!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Hey Bev, I so agree…Jesus IS always the answer, especially during the “no matter what.”
“Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all.” (Colossians 3:11b) Hallelujah!
Thanks for commenting today.
Karen, thank you for these words which have encouraged and blessed me this morning. No matter what – may we cling to Jesus!
So glad this encouraged you, Joanne. Yes, we remember and cling to Christ.
Jesus is our subject. Eternal is our context.
Those three words put our whole following life into perspective, because it’s all the unknown “what’s” that shake our foundation if we’re not holding on to His faithfulness.
I like that, Michele, “put our whole following life into perspective.”
Jesus, the solid rock on which we stand during smooth sailing and during the no-matter-what moments.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I hadn’t put much thought into this phrase, Karen! Thank you for mining it’s riches to share! Praise the Lord He loves us no matter what!
Oh, yes, praise God for His love we rest in no matter what.
“…we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” (Romans 5:5b)
Thank you, Bethany.
Vicki Winans sings a song that says, “Long as I got King Jesus I don’t need nobody else.” When Jesus is all you have, he is all you need. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.
Love that song line! Why never back down? Jesus. Why never give up or give in? Jesus.
Thanks, Yvonne!
Good morning, Patricia. There is so much rich wisdom in this post! “Jesus is our subject. Eternal is our context.” Love these truths!
Peace and grace,
Tammy
Thanks so much, Tammy! Christ is our subject…always!
“In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and he is equally available to all.” (Colossians 3:11)
Karen, that was so much fun to read and ponder. Loved it!
Debbie, thank you. Keeping going. No. Matter. What.
Wonderful post Karen! Also reminds me of our bible study last night—no matter what, stand firm in God’s truth.
Yes, Lynn! Stand firm in God’s truth and against the enemy. Those are the kind of things that really matter most in this life…and the next.
Appreciate your thoughts!
Great inspiration to cling to Jesus today. laurensparks.net
Lauren, I’m holding on to Him with all I’ve got and never letting go no matter what.
Blessings!
What a special message! Nothing really matters without Jesus, not that much anyway, and certainly not for the eternal. This is a refreshing post, Karen, and thank you, Patricia, for hosting it.
Hey Stephen, thanks for stopping by and commenting. Christ is what matters most. For without Jesus, we really have nothing at all.