Normally, I am a calm, serene, and contented kind of guy, usually able to deal with people and potentially tense situations with gentleness and aplomb. Lots of things just roll off me like water off a duck’s back, mostly because I take to heart Paul’s blessing in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
That said, there are a few things – some pet peeves – that do tend to “get my goat” (Why all the animal references – ducks, goats?). Peeve #1: the misuse of the words “its” and “it’s”. I see the wrong word used so often that I have caught myself starting to do it, too. Basically, “its” is the possessive form, as in “I took my car to the shop because its tires were worn out.” On the other hand, “it’s” is a contraction of “it is”, so I would properly use it in a sentence such as, “It’s a beautiful day for the fair.” If I use either one in my blog posts, check to make sure I have the right one!
Peeve #2 is related: people are writing plurals by adding an apostrophe-s to the end of noun, when apostrophe-s actually expresses possession. For example, someone writes, “The restaurant sold ten pizza’s,” when he or she should have written, “The restaurant sold ten pizzas.” I have even seen both spellings on the same sign, such as, “On sale: apple’s and oranges.” Talk about mixing apples and oranges (or is it, apple’s and orange’s?)
Pet peeve #3, another grammatical error: for some reason, people are using the personal pronoun, “I” as an object (or indirect object) of a sentence, when the correct pronoun is “me.” For example, “Our friends gave my wife and I a basket of fruit.” The correct form is, “Our friends gave my wife and me a basket of fruit.” The test is whether the pronoun could stand alone in the sentence: “Our friends gave I a basket of fruit” is obviously wrong, while saying they gave me a basket of fruit is correct.
I have to say, though, that these pet peeves of mine aren’t that important in the big scheme of things. While I would prefer certain word usages, there is no crime or sin in going against what I prefer. Whether people commit one of these grammatical errors or not does not change my attitude toward them; I don’t get angry about it or start throwing things. You might say these pet peeves are really just “petty peeves.”
You might say some pet peeves are really just “petty peeves.”
But there is another pet peeve of mine that is more consequential and does bother me more deeply when I hear it, and that is the cavalier way in which people say, “O my God!” (OMG) to express surprise or shock or some other emotion, with no intent to actually call upon God.
I hear it on the decorating shows we watch, when the homeowners see the designer-host’s renovations to their house; they open their eyes and shout OMG! in amazement at the make-over. I hear it from youth who say it without even thinking about what they’re saying; it’s (notice my use of the contraction for “it is” . . . ) part of their everyday speech and texting. And when out having lunch recently while pondering this article, I heard someone in the booth behind me combine an OMG with a curse.
These OMG’s (or is it OMGs?) are not in the spirit of either Scripture or some of the great hymns of the Church. OMG is not the same as, “O Lord my God” from How Great Thou Art. It does not mean the same as the “Save me, O my God!” from Psalm 3:7. It is not the lament of the messianic Psalm 22, in which the One being crucified cries out, “O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”
And that’s the problem. Most people who say “O my God” are not calling upon God at all.
And that’s the problem. Most people who say “O my God” are not calling upon God at all. They are not praising him, worshiping him, or even crying out to him in grief or anger. Their words have nothing to do with God, and that’s why they’re wrong. They are taking God’s name in vain.
The Lord warned in the Ten Commandments about misusing his name. The Second Commandment says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11). The Israelites and later the Jews understood the seriousness of this command, and therefore avoided even saying God’s name of Yahweh. They would substitute the word, “Lord” instead. This has carried over into today’s Bible translations; when you see the word “LORD” in all capital letters, that means the word in the Hebrew text was Yahweh. You may occasionally see this concern for God’s name expressed even in the newspaper: sometimes the letters to editor will refer to God as G_D, indicating a Jewish writer not wanting to misuse God’s name or have it misused when the paper is thrown away.
Christians have not generally gone to those lengths to avoid even saying or writing God or Yahweh. Because we are in Jesus Christ by faith, we believe in the name of the Lord our God, and bow to the name that is above every name, confessing Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). And yet, faithful Christians have also from the beginning sought to honor God by obeying his commandment to treat his name with honor, respect, and love.
In Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, he explained the meaning of this commandment as follows: “We should fear and love God that we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.” Luther directs us to both negative and positive aspects of this commandment. On the negative side, we are not to misuse God’s name by swearing, lying, or using God’s name as a magic spell. This forbids us from cussing in God’s name or from false swearing in his name. This is why Bibles were used in courtrooms for the swearing-in of witnesses; when people feared God’s judgment, it was thought they would not dare to forswear (lie under oath). On the positive side, this commandment compels us to call upon the name of God in prayer, worship, and praise, giving thanks to the One who provides us with life and all our needs.
We can cry “O my God” in times of need, in times of repentance, or in times of praise – as long as we are actually addressing God, and not just using the word “God” as part of a meaningless expression that has nothing to do with the almighty Creator of the universe.
When I hear people saying, “O my God” on TV, I usually turn to Karen and say, “Isn’t that nice; they’re thanking God for their nice new home (or whatever they’re excited about)!” Of course, I’m speaking ironically, but that’s okay because it’s a pet peeve, and you can do that with pet peeves. But even as I say that, I have to ask myself, “Am I truly keeping that commandment in all I do? Am I not only refraining from misusing God’s name, but also using it as often as I should? How often do I pray by calling on God by name, instead of just thinking fuzzy thoughts and knowing God will understand me? How often do I thank God publicly and appropriately for his blessings? And do I seek to encourage others to speak God’s name with sincerity and affection?
Hopefully, this post will lead you to think about how you use God’s name in your daily walk, whether you’re speaking of God as Father, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit. He is worthy “to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12) So let us give him the honor he is due by using his name with reverence.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace. Amen.
Read: Philippians 2:5-11 and Exodus 20:1-17
Some of my favorite pet peeves, as well. Especially the “I” and “me” ones. But even more so, the use of the word God. I cringe when I hear people say “OMG”, especially in a most worldly way. Thanks for the affirmation of my “petty peeves”.