I know you're going to find this hard to believe but I had a hard time coming up with 10 pet peeves! There are a few that immediately popped into my head, but after that I had to dig a little.
1. Using a Bible verse out of context. Read the whole book from a GOD CENTERED perspective rather than a, "How does this apply to me?" perspective. I see verses like Jeremiah 29:11 and Phillipians 4:13 taken out of context all.the.time. Then I have to remember that I come from an amazing church who's pastor believes in the importance of teaching word for word, verse by verse, page by page, book by book from the Bible (while teaching author, audience, purpose, theme of each book) so that we can rightly handle it in our day to day lives. I'm beyond blessed in that aspect. Sooooo if you don't know the author, audience, purpose and historical context of a book, I'd hesitate using a verse to defend your argument or even apply it in your personal life.
FACT: There are many incorrect interpretations of the Bible, but there is only one that matters. I want to know GOD'S purpose in revealing what He revealed and I don't want to fail, so I rely on the skills my pastor has taught me, teachers and authors I trust because we share sound doctrine found in SCRIPTURE, and the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to HIS Word.
2. Bashing others/Gossiping. Whether it's on Facebook or privately to a friend, it's wrong. And then there's husband bashing... Do you know how degrading your Facebook post is to your husband, or how your bashing affects the way you treat him? This one selfish vomit can affect your marriage on so many levels because you publicly humiliated this man you vowed to love and honor all the days of your life. There is absolutely nothing honorable about a husband-bashing-Facebook-status. You may as well have gone on Good Morning America and announced to everyone how awful your husband is (who, by the way is a sinner - just like you) and that you take back your vow to love him in sickness and in health (aka, the good times and the bad times). He's your husband, for pete's sake, and for that reason alone he deserves respect.
3. Simple Grammar/Spelling Errors. Even though I have an english/language arts degree and am certified to teach 7-12th graders, I do not consider myself an expert. I find SO MANY mistakes in my own writing that I can't be too critical. Sometimes it's the simplest rules that get me all confuzzled and are the easiest to forget. Despite my own stupidity I shamefully admit it's still a pet peeve... It wouldn't bother me so much if this little red squiggly line didn't show up under all my mistakes, so I know the same courtesy is extended to all computer users. Don't ignore it! It indicates a problem. Take the time to fix it.
4. Stinkiness. I'm not talking about the I-just-worked-out or mowed-my-lawn or I-just-drank-a-cup-of-strong-coffee kinda stink, I'm talking about the I-haven't-showered-in-weeks-or-even-changed-my-underwear kinda stink. I've been around adults who smelled so awful that I gagged when I was within a 20 foot radius of them. There's been times it was so bad that the library reeked even after they left. I didn't realize, until I had my own classroom, that cleanliness was something that needed to be taught. The poor counselor had to teach more students than I can count how to take care of themselves. So one part of me wants to help these people and the other part of me wants to scream, do you seriously not care about how your filth affects everyone around you? (See #5.) Even if you only have one pair of underwear, wash it in the sink with a cheap bar of soap, hang it out to dry while you go commando for a few hours... and then wash your pants to let them dry overnight... even if you're in a poverty situation, there's cheap, cheap ways to deal with stink. For the sake of others, please, deal with your stink.
5. A complete disregard for those around you. It's pretty obvious if your world revolves around me, myself, and I. It's evident when you're driving, standing in line, waiting for something, how you treat your waitress, etc. etc. Selfishness is one of my biggest pet peeves, get over yourself, you're not that big of a deal, and be courteous to others.
6. Christians giving other christians crappy advice like: just do what's best for you. Most of the time that puts me, myself, and I in that #1 slot. Today's idols are not cast in gold. Today's idols are flesh and blood and staring back at you when you look in the mirror. If you love yourself supremely, because you don't think anyone else can love you like you can, congratulations you just made yourself a god. PLUS, you're negating the very Word of God that states that Jesus loved you so much that while you were still a sinner, He died for you (John 15:12-13, Romans 5:8) there is no love like that, you cannot love yourself like that! If you're a Christian that is the worst possible advice you could give another Christian because it's completely against what God is telling you to do in Scripture. Jesus says that if you are to follow him, deny yourself and serve others. (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Mark 10:43, Luke 9:23) John the Baptist states, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) Over and over again, Paul advises us to love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us. There's SO MANY reasons why the advice, "honey, just love yourself..." or "just do what's best for you..." grinds at my very heart strings. If you call yourself a Christian and your advice goes against what Jesus taught in Scripture - STOP IT!
7. Cussing. Can you think of nothing better to say? There are a million words you could use in leu of the f-word (for example). Cussing screams uneducated ignorance or a complete disregard for the ears around you. You obviously do not care how your words affect everyone else, which screams selfishness... (see #5). I've seen this quote passed around quite frequently, "Why do I use the f-word? Because. F-you." Selfish. (again, see #5)
8. Justifying mistakes. I fully acknowledge that I do this as well. When I make a mistake the first thing I want to do is defend myself. When I feel like justifying my mistakes I force myself to pray and ask that God soften my heart. It takes more strength and guts to let go of your pride and simply say I'm sorry, deal with the conviction and correction that comes with it, and move on. Oh, and don't say, "I'm not trying to justify, but..." Uh, yes you are, that "but" was your key indicator. I admire the one statement: "Yeah, I screwed up..." more than I do your explanation for why you screwed up.
9. Whining. I simply do not understand whinese. Plus if Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player, had to sign a contract that stated he would not whine or complain if someone spit on him for the color of his skin... what excuse do we have?!
10.Have you caught on yet that selfish behavior is a monster pet peeve? I'm just going to put selfishness as it's own category because, quite frankly, it should be #1 on my list. And selfishness is something I struggle with daily. It's too easy to put my needs above the needs of others and I find myself going there all the time. BUT when my mind is focused on the selflessness of Christ displayed on the cross, there's no room for anything but HIM, and my old selfish self is cast out the window. Thank GOODNESS for Jesus and His free gift of salvation, otherwise I'd be doomed to spend an eternity in hell. So each time I get to the place where I want to cast judgement on others for their selfish sins, I'm reminded of my own and the work Christ is doing in my life, which puts all these stupid, selfish pet peeves in perspective. Get the plank out of your own eye, Becky, and stop being so selfish!
After writing this post I felt a little on edge. I also feel a little like a hypocrite in publishing a post that is one of my pet peeves: ranting. From now on, I think I should stick to topics that don't produce so much anxiety, LOL.
1. Using a Bible verse out of context. Read the whole book from a GOD CENTERED perspective rather than a, "How does this apply to me?" perspective. I see verses like Jeremiah 29:11 and Phillipians 4:13 taken out of context all.the.time. Then I have to remember that I come from an amazing church who's pastor believes in the importance of teaching word for word, verse by verse, page by page, book by book from the Bible (while teaching author, audience, purpose, theme of each book) so that we can rightly handle it in our day to day lives. I'm beyond blessed in that aspect. Sooooo if you don't know the author, audience, purpose and historical context of a book, I'd hesitate using a verse to defend your argument or even apply it in your personal life.
FACT: There are many incorrect interpretations of the Bible, but there is only one that matters. I want to know GOD'S purpose in revealing what He revealed and I don't want to fail, so I rely on the skills my pastor has taught me, teachers and authors I trust because we share sound doctrine found in SCRIPTURE, and the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to HIS Word.
2. Bashing others/Gossiping. Whether it's on Facebook or privately to a friend, it's wrong. And then there's husband bashing... Do you know how degrading your Facebook post is to your husband, or how your bashing affects the way you treat him? This one selfish vomit can affect your marriage on so many levels because you publicly humiliated this man you vowed to love and honor all the days of your life. There is absolutely nothing honorable about a husband-bashing-Facebook-status. You may as well have gone on Good Morning America and announced to everyone how awful your husband is (who, by the way is a sinner - just like you) and that you take back your vow to love him in sickness and in health (aka, the good times and the bad times). He's your husband, for pete's sake, and for that reason alone he deserves respect.
3. Simple Grammar/Spelling Errors. Even though I have an english/language arts degree and am certified to teach 7-12th graders, I do not consider myself an expert. I find SO MANY mistakes in my own writing that I can't be too critical. Sometimes it's the simplest rules that get me all confuzzled and are the easiest to forget. Despite my own stupidity I shamefully admit it's still a pet peeve... It wouldn't bother me so much if this little red squiggly line didn't show up under all my mistakes, so I know the same courtesy is extended to all computer users. Don't ignore it! It indicates a problem. Take the time to fix it.
4. Stinkiness. I'm not talking about the I-just-worked-out or mowed-my-lawn or I-just-drank-a-cup-of-strong-coffee kinda stink, I'm talking about the I-haven't-showered-in-weeks-or-even-changed-my-underwear kinda stink. I've been around adults who smelled so awful that I gagged when I was within a 20 foot radius of them. There's been times it was so bad that the library reeked even after they left. I didn't realize, until I had my own classroom, that cleanliness was something that needed to be taught. The poor counselor had to teach more students than I can count how to take care of themselves. So one part of me wants to help these people and the other part of me wants to scream, do you seriously not care about how your filth affects everyone around you? (See #5.) Even if you only have one pair of underwear, wash it in the sink with a cheap bar of soap, hang it out to dry while you go commando for a few hours... and then wash your pants to let them dry overnight... even if you're in a poverty situation, there's cheap, cheap ways to deal with stink. For the sake of others, please, deal with your stink.
5. A complete disregard for those around you. It's pretty obvious if your world revolves around me, myself, and I. It's evident when you're driving, standing in line, waiting for something, how you treat your waitress, etc. etc. Selfishness is one of my biggest pet peeves, get over yourself, you're not that big of a deal, and be courteous to others.
6. Christians giving other christians crappy advice like: just do what's best for you. Most of the time that puts me, myself, and I in that #1 slot. Today's idols are not cast in gold. Today's idols are flesh and blood and staring back at you when you look in the mirror. If you love yourself supremely, because you don't think anyone else can love you like you can, congratulations you just made yourself a god. PLUS, you're negating the very Word of God that states that Jesus loved you so much that while you were still a sinner, He died for you (John 15:12-13, Romans 5:8) there is no love like that, you cannot love yourself like that! If you're a Christian that is the worst possible advice you could give another Christian because it's completely against what God is telling you to do in Scripture. Jesus says that if you are to follow him, deny yourself and serve others. (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Mark 10:43, Luke 9:23) John the Baptist states, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) Over and over again, Paul advises us to love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us. There's SO MANY reasons why the advice, "honey, just love yourself..." or "just do what's best for you..." grinds at my very heart strings. If you call yourself a Christian and your advice goes against what Jesus taught in Scripture - STOP IT!
7. Cussing. Can you think of nothing better to say? There are a million words you could use in leu of the f-word (for example). Cussing screams uneducated ignorance or a complete disregard for the ears around you. You obviously do not care how your words affect everyone else, which screams selfishness... (see #5). I've seen this quote passed around quite frequently, "Why do I use the f-word? Because. F-you." Selfish. (again, see #5)
8. Justifying mistakes. I fully acknowledge that I do this as well. When I make a mistake the first thing I want to do is defend myself. When I feel like justifying my mistakes I force myself to pray and ask that God soften my heart. It takes more strength and guts to let go of your pride and simply say I'm sorry, deal with the conviction and correction that comes with it, and move on. Oh, and don't say, "I'm not trying to justify, but..." Uh, yes you are, that "but" was your key indicator. I admire the one statement: "Yeah, I screwed up..." more than I do your explanation for why you screwed up.
9. Whining. I simply do not understand whinese. Plus if Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player, had to sign a contract that stated he would not whine or complain if someone spit on him for the color of his skin... what excuse do we have?!
10.Have you caught on yet that selfish behavior is a monster pet peeve? I'm just going to put selfishness as it's own category because, quite frankly, it should be #1 on my list. And selfishness is something I struggle with daily. It's too easy to put my needs above the needs of others and I find myself going there all the time. BUT when my mind is focused on the selflessness of Christ displayed on the cross, there's no room for anything but HIM, and my old selfish self is cast out the window. Thank GOODNESS for Jesus and His free gift of salvation, otherwise I'd be doomed to spend an eternity in hell. So each time I get to the place where I want to cast judgement on others for their selfish sins, I'm reminded of my own and the work Christ is doing in my life, which puts all these stupid, selfish pet peeves in perspective. Get the plank out of your own eye, Becky, and stop being so selfish!
After writing this post I felt a little on edge. I also feel a little like a hypocrite in publishing a post that is one of my pet peeves: ranting. From now on, I think I should stick to topics that don't produce so much anxiety, LOL.
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