“The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom . . . The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable. . .,” Proverbs 10:31-32, KJV

To cuss, or not to cuss? Is it really a question?

One of my pet peeves, for I have a few, is going into a public place such a store or a market, and being surrounded by filth (and, I don’t mean dirty floors). What I am talking about is employees that work for an establishment, standing around in groups, holding conversations so loud it’s annoying, but also spewing out speech that is reprehensible. It really irks me to no content. This is a place of business. There should be certain decorum for those that work there to follow. That kind of language and obscenities should not be expressed in loud groups in front of the customers.

One day it goaded me so that I literally left the store because I was so offended. What people do with their lives is their business. But, when they come to work, a place that services the public, they should be there for work and not to stand around “expressing themselves” to one another.

Okay, so we expect that kind of behavior from those who are outside of Christ, right? But, what of those who claim Christ as their Savior? Speech, to some seems like a little thing, but shouldn’t it also be above reproach? Should not our tongues be like honey instead of dripping with bitterness and filthiness? Shouldn’t the instrument that we praise God with be just as clean in our everyday life as it was during Sunday service? I believe so.

In our culture many don’t really observe the importance of speech. With much of our everyday conversation laced with slang and things of non-essential, we really don’t revere words the way we ought to. I think this is a downfall to all humankind.

There are many that profess Christ but really find nothing wrong with a few choice words sprinkled here and there. They find no fault in a speech that is so far from the God they serve. The Bible tells us that God used His words to create the whole world and all that is in it. Yet, we see the tongue has having no real power over our lives. And, so, with a nod to secularism, many wade out into the waters of profanity.

If you are in Christ then what you say out of your mouth is more important then you know. According to Jesus, that which comes out of our mouths defiles us, Matthew 15:10-11. It makes us filthy and contaminated, reprehensible in the eyes of God, and it causes a whole lot of trouble. Proverbs 21:23 helps us by telling us, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles,” (KJV). Been getting into too much trouble lately? What have you been talking about?

Ephesians 4:29 says, “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,” (KJV). I don’t know about you, but I have never heard a curse word that “ministered grace.” And, it definitely doesn’t build anybody up.

Our mouths are tell-tale instruments that let people know where you are from and what you have in you. When Peter was in the process of denying Jesus, his speech identified him of where he belonged, Matthew 26:73. People can usually pick up on where you are from by how you talk. Trust me when I tell you this. My family is from the south with extraordinarily heavy accents. When they open their mouths to speak, you know they are not from around here.

When we open our mouths to speak, are we speaking with the wisdom of the just? Are we speaking that which is “acceptable?” Or, have we let the accents of this world take over our speech? Remember, people will know where you are from and to whom you belong to by the words that come out of your mouth.

Show the world a better way today. Give them a new accent with your speech. Withdraw from using that useless stuff and turn on the power that God has. “Minister grace unto the hearers.” To cuss, or not to cuss? It’s no longer a question!

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