Sometimes kids don't understand why
cursing is so bad. Everyone does it. Its on t.v., friends and relatives cuss, sometimes parents or other respected adults. Being in the foster care business, we've seen kids come from all kinds of back grounds and mixed up families. They were not taught the right use of language by the people that they've trusted to care for them and meet their needs.
I've never been given a black and white lesson on the subject and
sometimes struggle to help my own kids understand why God says its wrong. Its funny how when they get older, telling them "because I said so" just doesn't do the trick anymore. :-)
I've always known there are bible verses on this topic. I've just never taken the time to really study the bible on this subject and record notes about it... until now. I'm not sure what has prompted me to do this study now (except maybe the Holy Spirit working in me), but it turned out to be a pretty interesting study.
I wanted to find a way to share it. It may be that you have already got this covered with your family. But maybe someone out there could use the encouragement.
What the Bible says about
Choosing our words...
In Matthew 26:74, we find Peter, a man following Christ and one of His disciples. He cursed.
He used cursing and swearing when he denied Jesus.
I don't believe its a coincidence that this is recorded in this way. Peter was an example to us. Sometimes Peter was a little impatient and stubborn. He was like many of us today. But he made a mistake and used cursing and swearing when he denied Jesus. He fell back into old habits as a young Christian. Does that ever happen to you?
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Leviticus 18:21(b) states "...neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord."
- Irreverently saying "OMG", "Oh my God, slang use of "Gosh Darn" or saying "goddammit", "Oh Jeez", or "Jesus Christ", or even "cheese and rice"...
All of these examples (and more) are versions of profaning (or desecrating) the name of God.
This is expressly prohibited by God's Word!!
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Peter admonishes (or warns) Christians in 1 Peter 2:1 telling them to "lay aside" (or "stop doing") all malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies... "and
all evil speakings". He goes on to say that you should desire the Word so that you can grow spiritually.
Will you grow spiritually if being disobedient to God's word? Sin is any disobedience to God's word. Sin detracts from growing spiritually. Evil speakings will detract from growing spiritually.
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Solomon tells us in Proverbs 15:4 that "a wholesome tongue is a tree of life". Look at these references to the "tree of life":
- Gen. 3:22 tells us that one who eats of the tree will live forever.
- Gen. 3:24 tells us how valuable the tree is to God and how He protects it.
- Revelation 22:14 tells us who has the right to eat from the tree... "those that do his commandments."
Again, the importance of being obedient to God!
Also, in Proverbs 15:4, Solomon concludes that "perverseness therein (in the tongue) is a breach in the Spirit". The Holy Spirit is given to us when we become a child of God by accepting Jesus Christ as our savior. We then have so much available to us:
- The Holy Spirit is God - Matthew3:16
- The Spirit is willing, but... Matthew 26:41
- Our comforter - John 15:26
- The Truth - John 16:13, 1 John 5:6
- Life - Romans 8:10
- sons of God - Romans 8:14
- Our prayer partner - Romans 8:26
- Dwells in us - 1 Corinthians 3:16
Using foul language will put "a breach in the Spirit". A breach is the act of breaking, a rupture, a gap, a separation. We should not let any corrupt communication (evil words) proceed out of our mouth according to Ephesians 4:29. Doing so will "grieve" the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30).
1 Thessalonians 5:19 warns us to "quench not" the Holy Spirit. To quench means to extinguish, to quiet, to destroy or to stifle.
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Its not easy...
James 3:6,8 describe the tongue:
- a fire
- a world of iniquity (sin)
- defileth the whole body
- setteth on fire
- is set on fire of hell
- no man can tame
- an unruly evil
- full of deadly poison
wow. not a pretty picture, is it?
Verse 9 of chapter 3 says that we "bless" God
and "curse" man with the same tongue...
Verse 10 says that "these things ought not so to be"!!!
1 Thes. 5:22 tells us to "abstain from all appearance of evil"
So, if no man can tame the tongue, then how can we be obedient to God and please him with our speech?
- Only God can help us with our choice of words through his wisdom that he gives liberally!!
- If this is a problem for you, pray to God to help you with this problem just as you do when you need help in other areas of your life.
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We will be judged by our words we choose to say.
Matthew 12:36 says "...every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account..."
Verse 37 says that by your words will you be justified or condemned.
It is very important to our life everlasting to choose our words wisely today.
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