George Washington and Cursing

I ran across a quote by George Washington that was very insightful...thought I would share:

"The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it."

Profanity has been around nearly as long as language itself, and it shows no sign of going away anytime soon. Vulgarity is everywhere: billboards, books and magazines, all over the web, music, everyday conversations, and especially movies and TV.

We all have that little voice inside us that lets us no something isn't right about cursing and swearing. Our wisdom, attitude, and character determines whether or not we make the choice to curse/cuss. When one chooses to use profanity, it's usually one of the following:

• a sign of ignorance (such as the child who repeats what they've heard or the immature adult who is speaking without thinking)
• a sign of rebellion (like the teenager who likes getting away with it or the criminal who curses an officer)
• or a sign of insecurity (like the singer who uses it because they feel it's the only way they can reach their audience or the debater who uses it in as a method of intimidation).

There are other cases of course, but these are the most common reasons people will curse. As a youth minister I was often asked, "Is it a 'sin' to cuss?" Hmmm. Does the Bible really say that we're not supposed to? The answer is "yes." The Bible speaks very clearly about our speech, and how it should be used. Since we only have a limited amount of space, let me share this verse with you:

"Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth..." (Ephesians 4:29)

"...from the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. Brothers this ought not to be this way..." (James 3:10

Jesus said it's not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out (Matthew 15:11). There are several more verses you can find them by clicking here.

All this is to say that God has given us speech and words as a way to communicate, and even moreso to build each other up (Ephesians 4:29). So, today let's build someone up; encourage them. And if you have that bad habit of cursing, the grab these verses above and let them be your "weapon" against profanity. Learn and memorize them. When the time is right, you'll know it, and you'll be able to use your secret weapon. It's amazing the power in God's Word.

Praying these words have built you up...

Justin