"Orion"

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Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

What it is speaking to me:

Confession time.

I am not a road rage guy. I don't struggle with anger in traffic (most of the time), I don't get particularly annoyed at people cutting me off or other things that often annoy a daily driver in a busy metropolis.

BUT. I do have this one thing: when I see someone doing something dangerous on the road that endangers myself or others. Just last night I saw a guy flying down the highway at north of 85-90 miles an hour, weaving in and out of traffic WITH NO LIGHTS ON. No signals, no tail lights, no headlights. When someone does that or something equally stupid, I have a word that I say out loud that is directed towards them. It is a word that sounds a lot like "orion" but without the "i" and it has an "m" in front of it....got it?

I know, I know — you can't believe it. David of all people. How could he???

The other day I said that unpardonable word when I witnessed another unnecessarily dangerous stunt on the road, and my son was in the back seat. "Dad!" he said, "That is not very nice to say about someone." I tried to explain why I said it, how it was earned based on the extraordinarily poor road performance of that individual, or how that "orion" was driving a giant piece of metal weighing 2,000 pounds that can kill people if they aren't careful, and so calling them an "orion" was fitting....

But in reality, I was probably just justifying myself in front of my 8-year-old about calling someone an "orion."

You and I both know there are worse words than "orion." But the verse above doesn't set a sliding standard of what some would deem innocent or inappropriate. The standard is whether it ministers grace to the people who hear it.

So while "orion" might not be a big deal in one sense, my son did not receive grace from it.

So....who is acting the "orion" now?

What is it saying to you?

What are things you say that maybe don't minister grace?What is your standard of what you consider appropriate talk? Does it match the Biblical standard above?

What are we going to do about it?

Try to spend today speaking in a way that only ministers grace to every person you are talking to.