Lately, it seems like the phrase “God bless!” is overtaking “goodbye” and “thank you” which in a way is good because it acknowledges the active presence and the need for God in our lives. That is, if it’s not used like an everyday expression without thought like “Oh my God” or “OMG” and according to Pastor Adrian Rogers of Love Worth Finding Ministries, not used to bless non-believers.

It is a perfectly commendable practice to bless someone on his/her way with the phrase for as long as the recipient is a brother/sister in Christ. But to offer the blessings of God to someone who lives like there is no God, who denies His existence, who raises his/her fist at God, and who rejects the Word has no biblical basis at all.

We are to welcome and minister to non-believers (Mt. 5:46-48, 25:35-36, Lk. 9:11) so they can know and accept Jesus, and become children of God (Jn. 1:12-13) but the pronouncement of His blessings is reserved for His own (Acts 15:4, Rom. 15:7). A stranger, especially a hostile stranger, is not expected to share in the inheritance of a household s/he reviles unless s/he becomes part of it.

The danger in invoking the blessings of God to a non-believer is that it will lull him/her into thinking that s/he need not make that crucial commitment since s/he thinks s/he’s already enjoying the perks and protection. We then unwittingly become a stumbling block to him/her coming into salvation through Christ. Yes, the sun rises and it rains on both the just and the unjust (Mt. 5:45) but that is the course of nature. It has nothing to do with one’s eternal destiny.

If we really want to bless our non-believing friends and loved ones, we need to sit down and share the gospel to them. Saying “God bless!” in lieu of “goodbye” will not accomplish this since we are in the midst of parting ways with the other person when we say this. More time is needed which hopefully will lead to their own salvation so we can rightfully say, “God bless!” when we each go our own way.