Saturday, February 25, 2006

"Oh my Go_!"... whatever happened to Godly fear!

When I first got married, I really lacked godly fear. My husband came from a rich God-fearing heritage. Without excuse... even though I did not, I really had no fear of God. I thought of Him as a buddy. Not as an all-powerful, Holy God to be appropriately revered. Now I know there is a balance... but this is an attribute of God that we tend to sadly forget.

I would often say flippently, "Oh my Go_!"
or "Jeesh" and even "cra_." among others... I can't even write any of it anymore without cringing.
All the while observing my husband cringe when I would say these things... he literally turned white, like he might chunder. (I will let you google what chunder means)
"What is the big deal? Everyone does it?", I would say in ignorance.
"I don't." He would respond calmly. "You are taking God's name in vain." he said.
"Okay, so I will try to stop..." (habits are so HARD TO BREAK!)

I tried out a new one thinking I was clever...
"Oh my gosh!"
Until a friend told me to look up "gosh" in the dictionary.

Gosh is slang for God.
Jeesh is slang for Jesus.
Cra_ is really no better than ... well, you know.

GREAT! What do I do now? What is acceptable to say when I am frustrated?
Is "Oh my" okay?

How about the scripture that says, "...whoever speaks is to do so as one speaking the very utterances of God..." in I Peter.

"Why is it that, today, the masses are so utterly unconcerned about spiritual and eternal things, and that they are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God? Why is it that even on the battlefields multitudes were so indifferent to their soul's welfare? Why is it that defiance of Heaven is becoming more open, more blatant, more daring? The answer is, Because "There is no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3:18). Again; why is it that the authority of the Scriptures has been lowered so sadly of late? Why is it that even among those who profess to be the Lord's people there is so little real subjection to His Word, and that its precepts are so lightly esteemed and so readily set aside? Ah! what needs to be stressed today is that God is a God to be feared."---A.W. Pink
http://www.reformed.org/books/pink/pink_sov_10.html

On war memorials in Washington, DC. are the inspiring engraved words of some of our presidents. President Roosevelt's words used to announce the attack on Pearl Harbor were engraved as follows:
"Yesterday, December 7, 1941-- a date which will live in infamy--the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph."

But they left out the end of the quote... the most important part. Roosevelt ended the message with "so help us God."

An elderly woman that remembered the actual speech was very upset that this was left out.
Her husband said, "We're not supposed to say things like that now."
The two looked dismayed, shook their heads sadly and walked away.
She was right.
In "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley on page 58 is Roosevelt's speech to the nation... that ends with "so help us God."

One woman observed, "The people who edited out that part of the speech when they engraved it on the memorial could have fooled me. I was born after the war. But they couldn't fool the people who were there. Roosevelt's words are engraved in their hearts."

People need to know before everyone forgets. People today are trying to change the history of America by leaving God out of it, but the truth is, God has been a part of this nation, since the beginning.

A quote from a terrorist:
"The world no longer fears America because they no longer fear God."

Muslims hate sin.
Christians tolerate it.
Muslims serve their god.
The Christians' God serves them.
Muslims punish their view of evil.
Christian-America celebrates evil, markets evil, cozies up to evil.
Muslims revere their god.
Christians compartmentalize theirs.

"Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."

Go to this link and see how even our American Flag is founded on glorifying God: http://www.usflag.org/foldflag.html

8 Comments:

Blogger Rick said...

AMEN!

So many are still given to "sanctified swearing". Thanks for bringing this up.

8:08 PM  
Blogger 4given said...

How about "Oi Vai Iz Mir!" (woe is me) or just "Oi Vai" (woe)(pronounced "Oy Vay Izsh meer)
Wouldn't that be cute coming out of a 3 year old...

3:22 PM  
Blogger 4given said...

I would love to hear your long story, Susan.

Many blessings to your family.

Ex Animo,
Lisa

(that is Latin... another fun language to hear coming out of the mouths of my children... it means "sincerely from the heart")

9:20 AM  
Blogger Mike Ratliff said...

How is your Latin?
Great post!

1:52 PM  
Blogger 4given said...

My Latin...hmmm... I can sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "Caput et Bracchium, crus et pes..." with the little ones now, among other fun and silly things! It is great fun.
I have appreciated your comments on the Camp site.

Amor ad vitam.
Lisa

2:24 PM  
Blogger Mike Ratliff said...

I sometimes get too enthusiastic when I do that though. I think I have hurt some those people's feelings. Even though I believe I am stating the truth it is never a comfortable feeling to cause that sort of pain.

I think God is preparing me for something along these lines, but I haven't a clue what that something is.

Please pray that God will give me the wisdom and discernment to follow Him and Him alone.

By-the-way, I find your comments I have encountered in the blogosphere (is that a word?) very irudite and right on.


In Christ

Mike Ratliff

7:43 PM  
Blogger 4given said...

Anything erudite or right on can be attributed only to the Lord... and the fact that I have an incredible husband that holds me accountable and gives me great challenges regarding what I teach our 6 children... and it helps to have an excellent Pastor-Shepherd and church family to hold me accountable... and then there is my dad... and my husband's wonderful parents... need I go on?... I could!!!
Someone unexpectedly gave me great advice when I started this blog thingy... he said "Do not let your readers dictate what you write. Write from your heart, and never be transparent at the expense of the Gospel."... that person knows who they are... those words almost haunt me.
In Spiritu et Veritate,
Lisa

8:31 PM  
Blogger Mike Ratliff said...

I also need to learn to spell :-)

9:12 PM  

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