by Michelle Davis
“Beep you!”
“No beep me!”
“Oh beep, I stubbed my toe!”
“You’re such a beeeeeeeeeep!”
You might hear these ‘beeps’ everyday on T.V., the radio, a CD, or from a friend. I am not talking about some mysterious car language. I am talking about, yes, you guessed it…cussing!!!
The world’s words have become vulgar and ugly. Cuss words fill the air around us. Most people today have what is commonly known as a potty mouth. But do you know what’s worse than a potty mouth? A Christian with a potty mouth, and sadly there are plenty out there! To be completely honest, I’ve been guilty of carrying around the potty mouth stench from one time to another. Thankfully, I have the Lord’s forgiveness and strength on my side to help control my tongue.
Did you know that there are Christians out there that think cussing is ok to do?!?! Let’s look at some scripture to see why God definitely disagrees with the combo of cussing Christians.
Our words are very powerful! When you accept Jesus Christ as Lord, you use words to have salvation. “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved,” Romans 10:10. If we believe in our hearts and say with our words that Jesus is our Savior and Lord, then we’re saved from eternal life in H-E- double hockey sticks (HELL, for those who didn’t get it).
Sometimes we bring unnecessary trouble to our lives and the lives of others with our words. The Bible warns us about guarding what we say. Take a look at Proverbs 21:23, “[She] who guards [her] mouth and [her] tongue, guards [her] soul from troubles.” In my middle school days, I had some ‘friends’ who decided out of the blue not to be my friend. So in the girl’s locker room, I told someone that they were being like ‘beeps’ to me. Boy, that brought unwanted trouble to my life! For weeks on end, these girls tormented me with cuss words and threats to beat me up. I dreaded going to school, and cried every night, if only I had guarded my tongue in the girl’s locker room! Let me tell you it was a tough lesson to learn. The words they used toward me tore me down until I felt like I had nothing left.
Cussing is something that does nothing but tear others down. These girls were not Christians, and I was. Even if they ignored me and hurt my feelings, I should not have let that particular cuss word gush out of my mouth. I didn’t obey Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Despite my hurt, I did nothing to build them up. I tore them down. So I sparked the beginning of my own torment…the torment of those girls being extremely hateful toward me.
Why does God have a problem with cussing Christians? One, we are supposed to honor Him with our lives. If we cuss, we dishonor God and bring others down with us. And it’s more than just cussing. Unwholesome talk includes dirty jokes, crudeness, and rudeness too, in case, you didn’t know! James 1:26 keeps it real. Check it out, “If anyone considers [herself] religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on [her] tongue, [she] deceives [herself] and [her] religion is worthless.” This verse is basically saying…If we as Christians cuss like Eminem in his songs, then we have NOT proved to the world what we believe and that we follow Jesus. Our faith is empty because we are not bringing glory to our Father who loves us, and we trick ourselves into believing that cussing is ok.
Got soap? I know a lot of Christians that need to clean their potty mouths out with soap. I mean really what’s the point of cussing? We know just by reading God’s word that unwholesome talk discourages others, wreaks havoc on our own soul, and makes God sad. What other reasons do we need to stop?!
Your words are powerful. They either build or destroy. You have all the reasons not to cuss, so do you really want to be like the King of Cussing, Eminem or King of Kings, Jesus? It’s your choice.
Comments (9)
I really love this article. Sadly, I have lots of Christian friends that cuss, and I HATE it. I really wish I could knock some sense into them, but even if they won't stop, this article will help to always stay clean!
Posted by Brianna | May 22, 2007 6:17 PM
I REALLY loved this article. I just started at Hyde Park Baptist Schools. I was shocked to learn of a few kids that cuss every now and then. AND THEY"RE IN THE 8th GRADE! I HATE IT! I never really knew exactly what was wrong with it, until now. I just knew that it was wrong. THanks so much, I'll never forget this.
Posted by Kelly | May 27, 2007 10:06 AM
I didn't know that by Cussing that was talking down to God or hurting him. I now know.
Posted by Remonde | May 29, 2007 8:28 PM
WOW I really didn't know that cussing was like talking down to GOD!!! I think I might know some of my christen friends that do cuss!!! It is quite sad how even christens cuss!!! I just wish it would stop!!! But it happens any way we are just going to have to stop it or ignore it!!! I am happy that you feel the same way of cussing that I do!!!
Posted by molly | May 13, 2008 3:32 PM
When I go to school I hear people cuss and it bothers me alot. But what makes me feel better is that I know that I am doing the right thing (not to cuss).
Posted by madison | June 10, 2008 10:16 PM
hey, we go to an international school in belgium @ SHAPE, and we hear some colourful language all the time. we've grown used 2 hearin it an thatz not good. thanx 4 the thoughts and pray 4 us in the next school year. 8th grade here we come.
Posted by courtney and juli | July 30, 2008 11:00 AM
I remember my sophmore year in highschool that I got into the whole 'cussing' thing. Really I never cussed around anyone, but in my own solitude, I would as southerners say, "let 'er fly". Maybe a little bit exagerrative, but the fact is that I still did it. It was when I read an article in a TeenVirtue magazine that God really spoke to me. One day, I really just did not want to hurt God any more, so I stopped, quit cold- turkey (yes girls with God going cold-turkey is possible).
Now, if you were to ask me today about cussing- heh, it is not a beautiful topic to get me on. To hear Christian girls cuss bugs the absolute fire out of me. I have found that cussing is not only hurting God, but cussing is a very disrespectful way to talk. For me to hear others cuss, I pity them because they do not know what they're doing.
You also need to remember, "Who you hang out with defines you!" My suggestion for anyone who has friends that cuss is that you find someone else. The matter-of-the-fact is your friends will rub off on you. No matter what you think, you become your friends. "Show me who your friends are, and I'll show you who you are"- simple as that. If anything tell your friends that if they do not stop cussing then you won't hang out with them. Once you become that bold in your Christian faith, you most likely will get made fun of, but they will respect you.
Cussing has always been a sensative topic for me, but I hate it, and to hear it from anyone is a HUGE TURN-OFF!
Posted by Lisa Ann | November 1, 2008 7:03 PM
one of my friends is a christian but she cusses when she gets very mad
Posted by Ashley Downey | December 30, 2008 5:17 PM
I really liked this article! When i was in the 5th grade, i remember thinking that having a potty mouth made me seem "COOLER". And i had a really really big crush on this guy, Mike who was also a chris†ian but, one day i was with all my friends and we walked by him i was cussing and saying all these rude things about others. He looked at me like i was some kind of idiot or something. The next day before my friends got to school Mike walked up to me and asked if cussing made me happy ? I told him that cussing didn;t make me happier in anyway but, it was what everyone else did so it made me "COOL" too. He said "Brianna just because other kids cuss doesn't mean you should too. People who cuss are LOW and it makes them seem uncool. And it doesn't impress anyone." That night i wrote all my good friends a letter telling them how my life is going to be different, not because the boy i liked didn't cuss but, because i finally saw that GOD was try to tell me to let this bad habit go. And all of 6th-8th grade i've not have a potty mouth. I have let my words get the best of me sometimes but, i always ask for forgivness. And hope that he can help me let it go for good. (:
Posted by Brianna | July 26, 2009 4:39 PM