It is Well

If you’re a Christian, you’ve most likely heard that statement a million times or have said it a million times yourself.

Please, what exactly does it mean?

Don’t get it wrong, I am also a Christian, and I think I know what it means but the way I see it being used it seems virtually everyone has a different meaning apart from mine.

It seems to me that it is a statement we make for various kinds of mysterious or awkward situations. It is an easy way out of hard conversations. A deja-vu language that just immediately quenches and abruptly ends any discussion regardless of the intensity at which it was rising, even if it would have led to a eureka moment for one or 2 of the participants. In fact, it seems the Holy Spirit sometimes is stirring some thoughts and taking advantage of the convo until a holy-lazy bro just sings ‘It is well’ and it is all over.

if it does have a different meaning from what I think, then it has a million and one meanings.

We use it –

1. When we don’t want to say the truth, or we’re just scared of saying it.

2. When the matter don pass our understanding and we no wan gree.

3. When we know the right thing to do, but we are kinda lazy and not ready to do it.

4. When we don’t want to admit we need what we really need (dwelling in denial).

5. At the end of every gossip, to make it sound like it was a holy conversation (maybe to sanctify it, sort of).

6. When we have a different opinion, but we don’t want to argue, we love to enjoy our peace, abeg.

7. When we know that, regardless of what the situation is, everything will be fine because – Romans 8:28.

Out of all these, the last reason seems to be the only meaning I can see as legit and linked to the Word of God.

See, as much as this might affect your theology, I am sorry, I didn’t set out for that. I just saw a truth I need to speak.

The funny thing is the phrase ‘it is well’ never occurs only in 2 Kings 4:26 (the last time I checked KJV).

“Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.”

But it seems to be our favorite slang. I guess the popular ‘It is well with my soul’ contributed to its popularity.

It is the rug under which we can hide our laziness, weakness, and unwillingness to fight, unwillingness to take action, forgetting that faith requires a good fight. (2 Tim. 4:7)

Lately, I’ve been hearing a conversation around a documentary about T. B Joshua. T.B. Joshua, a late Pastor? When a Brother Femi brings up this kind of conversation with Brother Lazarus, Brother Lazarus will usually say “Hmmn, it is well”. Instead of Lazarus simply saying, “I am sorry I am not interested in this conversation”. I’ve turned out this conversation a few times by explaining that I am not interested in it without offending whoever is bringing it up. Of course, I find it offensive to make allegations about someone who isn’t alive to defend himself. I don’t know the details of the story and I don’t care to.

**When the matter don pass our understanding and we no wan gree**

Have you ever been in an argument about tithing or any other topic? A sister Chidinma tells you tithing is from the Old Testament and doesn’t apply to us now. And you sweetly explained to Chidinma that “well, Abraham was not under the law and he gave tithe to Melchizedek.” You would be shocked to hear an –

“It is well’ from sister Chidinma.

She doesn’t even want to stretch her mind to think whether you’re right or not. At this point, she thinks ‘Just get yourself outta here’.

Chidinma has no time to study the Bible and no space for anyone to damage her convenient theology, so just shut up, or ‘it is well’. I mean, ‘it is well’ as in ‘shut up and leave me alone, abeg’.

**When we know the right thing to do but we are not ready to do it**

Ada: “Have you heard the latest? Sister Martha is pregnant for brother Anointed.”

Musa: “Blood of Jesus”

Ada: “To think that brother Anointed prays in tongues louder than everyone in the church, na wa o.”

Say the truth, have you encountered this kind of conversation before? For me, I have.

The real issue is when sister Ada has finished dragging Brother Anointed like I-better-pass-my-nebo-gen, Bro Moses will simply end it with a calm, holy ‘it is well’ after a short ‘hmmm’.

Both of them know that the appropriate thing to do is to either find a way to restore the erring fellows (Gal. 6:1) or pray for them as brothers. (Ephesians 6:18, James 5:16)

But they are too lazy for that, they’ll satisfy their flesh by indulging in filthy communications and try to hang it up on God with a dirty ‘it is well’.

Meanwhile, it is clearly against the word of God to slander and gossip. (James 4:11)

**When we don’t want to admit we need what we need It**

Someone asks you – how are you? and you go “It is well my brother”. What on earth does that mean?

If it is not well with you say it and receive help. It’s not a curse, a sin, or a weakness for you to admit you need help.

You’ve not eaten for days and someone offers to help but you tell them off with a proud-full ‘it is well’, it is really not well with you.

This is not a matter of faith. Jesus says to ask and you shall receive. (Matt. 7:7)

I am not against the phrase ‘it is well’ but I am against lack of sincerity.

Say what you mean. When you need to argue, argue till you get clarity. If your logic is failing, go back to study, it doesn’t kill. Pray when you need to pray. End conversations when you need to.

Let ‘it is well’, really mean ‘it is well’.