One of my pet peeves is how some Christians use “God Bless you” as a sort of greeting and salutation. This is how the conversations often go:
Christian: Hey, Jeremy! God bless you!
[We talk about something…]
Me: Well, I gotta run.
Christian: Okay! God bless you!
Me: Uhh. Yeah. Thanks.
I know. I know. They want me to say, “God bless you” back. But I don’t do that. (I might say “Bless you” after someone sneezes, but that is something I learned from my wife… which I heard goes back to some old wive’s tale about losing part of your brain when you sneeze…)
How Do You Respond When People say “God Bless You”?
When someone says, “God bless you,” what I want to say is: “He has. And He’s blessed you too. So let’s stop talking like religious nuts and have a conversation like normal people.”
I mean look, if you only say God bless you because you want someone to say God bless you back, is that really going to be much of a blessing for either of us?
Also, can we really call down the blessing of God upon our lives by appending every conversation with the words “God bless you”?
I always wonder if men who say this greet their wife and kids the same way when they leave for work or get home in the evening. “I’m leaving for work! God bless you!” or “Honey, I’m home! God bless you!” I really doubt it. But then, since I’m not a “God bless you” sayer, I don’t really know what happens in “God bless you” homes.
God Bless You and Other Christian Lingo
Worse yet are the conversations that not only begin and end with “God bless you” statements, but are also full of statements like, “What a blessing! …An answer to prayer! …God is so good. …That just blesses my heart. …Oh, bless your soul! …Praise Jesus! …Amen!”
I am not much of a conversationalist, but my conversations with people like this usually end much quicker than normal. I have written about this before in a post called “This Video Really Spoke to My Heart.”
Maybe this is just the “overcritical me” coming out to snarl at the super-spiritual Christians again. If so, I’m sorry.
But what about you? Do you say, “God bless you”? Why or why not? Am I making too much of this? (Probably so)
Nothing much bothers me. Whatever’s clever suits me, if it suits you. Bless your heart, I believe is a southern way to flip you off. Or is it God bless your heart? I see it as a person’s hug, handshake, or kiss, when greeting. I prefer a handshake I accept others from people I approve of. Not every friend is in the close friends family zone.
I read here something about the Dutch being more down to earth. Mostly that is true. Maar ook niet altijd hoor, ze kunnen ook erg zweverig zijn (if the Dutch guy still reads here)
It does irritate me also a bit, this ‘God bless you’ because it is often used in a way that it means nothing.
People do the most horrible things but “God bless’ . (and ‘God bless America’ First a politician talks war-language, and ends with this thoughtless pronuncation, very strange )
But God blesses. And there are worse things one can say to another!
I am not a “God bless you” person but if I’m in a conversation with anyone who is, I am polite enough to let them be. I even reply God bless you, too sometimes.
But when I do see “What a blessing! …An answer to prayer! …God is so good. …That just blesses my heart. …Oh, bless your soul! …Praise Jesus! …Amen!” on social media, without any explanation, I admit it’s a little annoying… you know, maybe they’re not trying to be really mysterious but are genuinely thankful for something. I just let them be as well.
No I totally agree and get you. It irks me so I have never understood why and I’ve even asked people why do us Christians say that? Am I spos to say it back? Do you want me to say it back? I don’t want to say it back I feel as we are already blessed and been blessed a thousand times over 70×7 I mean when Jesus shed his blood isn’t that enough ? I know blessings continue to be countless in my life daily so I don’t feel the need to bless you or anyone else. The only thing I’ve ever heard about this that was kinda cool is that if a brother or sister tells you this its more powerful because we have the power in him of course to actually “bless people” but whatever I am so pet peevish I despise someone always ending everything with GOD BLESS I don’t even get an EFFN YOU.End Rant
I recently gave a older man and his wife this blessing. I was worried their truck was ready to break down and they would not arrive to their destination. That, while he smiled and drove away.
Remember out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If you live your life for God’s glory, and bless those around you–family, friends, and strangers, it might be a natural flow. I desire for all men to come to saving faith in Christ JESUS. It’s not being “super spiritual” for me–it’s being a believer. JESUS CHRIST saved me from a miry pit almost 32 years ago. It’s a reminder that God is blessing us–whether people know HIM or not.
I think God bless you is a very positive words and I will be saying it to people as God is with me in my very situation its all because people say me God bless you. I want my God to be with them too in every situation that’s how love grows and that’s what God wants too love one another so next time someone says God bless you take it in positive way it really works.
I find it offensive. I guess in my personal experience people who were religious enough to say “bless you” (outside of the sneeze ordeal which I even say bless you out of childish habit) did it as some kind of display of their awesome religiousness vs other people’s sinner ways. Often it was a lead in to remind us of how we nonbelievers were going to go to Hell unless we got Jesus in our lives. I follow the path of the Traditional Witch when I’m feeling I need some religion at all. I am also licensed minister. I could pull out a pentacle and bless a Christian but I guarantee they would get offended. So this knife cuts both ways.
I say God Bless you all the time. I never say it with the expectation of someone saying it back to me. It is a prayer, a charge, a wish upon their lives that I want to give to them unconditionally. Freely we have received and freely we give. That’s it. Nothing more.
I totally agree with Leslie .It’s nut’s to think it’s not needed or innapropriate. As she said, who say’s your saying it to get a blessing back , maybe the persons sincere in wanting God to bless you .