Grammar Nerd or Grammar Police?

I am a grammar nerd. 

It comes easily to me, figuring out how to word things, spelling properly, using words concisely, and knowing which words to use in a sentence (whose or who’s, anyone?). 

I try not to also become the grammar police, but sometimes things just need correcting, know what I mean? Like, should I see the post pictured and just let it go? Do I comment underneath it with a funny but correcting comment, private message them? What is appropriate?!?

(In case you were wondering, that is NOT the correct use of there, they’re, their in that sentence. It’s okay if you didn’t know that. No, it really is.)

The other day as I was taking notes during my devotions, I didn’t capitalize ‘his’ when talking about Jesus. And it bothered me. I actually had a little debate within myself as to whether in my personal notes no one else would ever see, that I use a capital ‘H’. 

And that made me think of law and grace. Like, I know a ton of people who post spiritually profound things, but don’t capitalize the ‘H’ in ‘his’ when talking about Jesus. 

Does that take away from the spirituality of their post? Does God get offended when we don’t capitalize the pronouns associated with His name? Is the uncapitalized ‘H’ somehow Kryptonite for the Holy Spirit? 

Does it even matter?

Sometimes we can be like the spiritual police. We see someone do something differently than we do, and we feel like we need to correct them. We let them know they are wrong, and exactly how and why they are wrong. 

And many times we do it in public for loads of others to see just how right we are. 

But what if what they’re doing isn’t unbiblical, or even wrong at all- just different? Perhaps they just have a preference that is different from ours, but still honoring to God.

The trouble with becoming the grammar police is that you have to constantly check to make sure you aren’t misspelling words, using incorrect grammar, or making typos. You become unusually concerned with being right before sending an email, posting online, or writing a letter. 

Because no self-respecting policeman (spiritual or otherwise) wants someone ELSE to call them out for making a mistake. 

The letter of the law is what our old spiritual man followed. If we are in Christ, we should be walking in the newness of the Spirit. We are all equally in need of a Savior. No one person does everything right every time. Grace is a necessary ingredient in our daily lives. 

I need it moment by moment! 

Surely how I interact with, respond to, and show love to others is much more important than whether or not I’ve capitalized the ‘H’. 

Romans 7:4-6
(4) Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
(5) For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
(6) But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Romans 3:19-28
(19) Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
(20) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
(21) But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
(22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(24) Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
(25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
(26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
(27) Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
(28) Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Galatians 5:13-16
(13) For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
(14) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
(15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
(16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Matthew 5:17-48