Swearing

[brettnolan]

I have recently come back to the Lord after a long absence and this is a huge area for me. At first, I didn't think it was a big deal because, as someone else said, they're just words. Then during one of my Bible study activities I was reminded that I can do anything I want, but if it causes someone else to stumble, I shouldn't do it. Cussing is like the plague. I started it, my younger sisters followed suit and eventually even my parents started (when I was a kid, my parents were VERY involved in the church and he-double hockey sticks would have gotten me grounded for a week).

Some of you have said that once you became a Christian, it has been easier to control. It was just the opposite for me. Once I was baptized as a teen, my profane vocabulary rivaled that of any men's magazine.

Also, if I want people to know I'm a Christian, I can't be asking them "how the **** are ya?" For most people, hearing those words doesn't make one think of Christians.

I don't think I have yet made it through a day without dropping the f-bomb. Most of the time I'm alone, but you play the way you practice.

Being a Chiefs and Royals fan doesn't help. Gotta keep praying.

 

[wvmtnkid]

I have often wondered who gets to decide what word is labeled as a "curse word"? Who gets to make that distinction?

But I think this issue falls into the "being separate from the world" category. While it is true that cuss words are just words, they are words that are associated with less then Christ like behavior. How can we, Christ's light to the world, be distinguished from the world, if we are following it's habits? Now, I am not pointing the finger at anybody because I have a few words that fly outta my mouth on occasion that I know better than to say. But, after saying them, I wonder what it does to my witness. Just think if the world heard Billy Graham rattle off a few "F you's" or ""Oh S's"! What impression would that give? Just something to think about.....

 

[CasterTroy]

I remember in my single days running across so MANY different people.

I ran with a crowd of regular friends YES, but I've never met a stranger

When I would hear someone using colorful langauge it would LITERALLY hurt my ears I was immune to it in my childhood because my relatives were mechanics, cops, blue collar workers who bathed in it....but my mother would wash my mouth out with soap (literally) if I was heard using thta langauge

My friends all thought I was rather unusual because I would substitue...to the point of it being funnier than swearing

But when I got to college away from mom I let em fly!


What convicted me again of my mouth was this verse

Matthew 5


37 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

WOW.....I thought to myself, how many times have I said H*$L yeah, or f yeah or NO da&*% WOW....then I prayed about it and God really burned my heart about my langauge


Since then I've not used that kind of langauge unless I'm angry for the wrong reasons and I slip...but then if I'm angry unjustly and for selfish reasons, I've already let satan in enough to influence my anger, so he takes my tounge too GRRRRR

We all slip.....we all fall....the tough part is deciding to get back up in the saddle and continue.......far too easy to just walk away

 

[urbanfaerie]

i dont see the big deal in cussing. but admitidly, it does bother me when i hear someone else do it, but heres the double standard..i don't see a problem when i cuss..



but i grew up around alot cussing, which was yelling, which as a result whenever i hear someone else say it, n a loud tone i get a lil scared. ifits a close friend of mine, i always ask him to cool it with the swear words..

and yea thats kinda retarded, cuz he didnt start cussing til he met me. a lil bit ofthe bad in me rubbed off him.

thats why i wish i could choose my words more carefully. i'm working on it.

 

[mina]

They are just words. But I think words do matter. We are encouraged in God's word to let our speech be edifying to others. Do these words lift others up, or build others up, or are they normally used to tear others down? Do they point others to Jesus or to the world? Humans have given these words their meanings, but humans are the ones that we interact with and talk to in the physical and audible sense.

 

[Ebb]

I've noticed as youth, that girls tend to cuss more and pick up more "bad habits", such as smoking, drugs, etc., more than boys. To parents, girls are said to be much harder to raise than boys. Why do you think this is?

 

[wvmtnkid]

Personally, I haven't noticed that females pick up on more bad habits than males do and are harder to raise. But I think there is a double standard, though. This behavior in males tends to be overlooked more and put off as "boys will be boys". The same behavior displayed in females is "unbecoming" and "unladylike". Which I play into as well. Really, it is unbecoming in anybody, regardless of the gender.

 

[brettnolan]

Chiefs down at halftime! @#%&!%
Power goes out! @&^*@(!
Dante Hall runs one back! **** Yeah!
Chiefs LOSE! #$&*@^#
30 secs later...power back on! Maternal ******! ^&#^@$(@&()&

God sent his Son because he knew that if he didn't all Kansas Citians would be burning!

 

[KeilCoppes]

I was blessed to grow up in a pastor's household and not end up being one of those who ran away to get anywhere else. There was never any less than proper language in our family - on the other hand, both my mother and father grew up in non-Christian households and fought their own battles with it. As a result, coarse language never became part of my regular vocabulary.

My personal battle was really against the attitutude in situations, rather than the language itself - that was just the expression. I would hurt myself, or really mess up something, or suddenly be faced with a difficult situation I wasn't expecting, the anger or frustration would spike, and then usually it would be "rats!". After a while I realized that I was substituting and the "rats" was replaced by a hard snapping of the fingers, but the spike was still there and I was still expressing my anger against the situation God had providentially sent. After a long time, the snapping went as well. Now, when those things happen, it's usually a pause to control the feelings, followed by relaxation and coming back down to earth. My new innovative (but not angered) word in response to pain? "Ouch".

The ultimate goal is to be constantly in trust of God and accepting of His providence while doing what I can to make things better. Then the spikes should go entirely! Cure the cause and the symptoms will go away (except for the remnants of habit which will take more time).

-kc

 

[michael112174]

i was saved march 16, 2003...and cursing was a huge problem for me before salvation....but the Lord instantly cured me of my anger, and thus the profanity was gone. i think ive cursed less then 10 times in the past 10 months, and mostly its been under my breath. only the Lord could have done that. i say "****" now, or "shoot"...i know it might sound funny to the "world"...but i dont care what the "world" thinks!

 

[Crain]

This is one challenge that is really hard for me. When I get mad just a little I slip and sometimes when I think about things, I cuss to myself. But it also seems that my family push things to the limit more then anyone else? I really trying not to cuss them out but due to recent events, I might just let it go. Topic: " Too quick to judge or not?" will help feel what i'm going through.

 

[stray bullet]

How about you guys? Do you struggle with profanity?

No.

 

[DudeBornAgain]

Well, I would be a liar to say I haven't let a few words slip here and there. My whole philosophy is the only reason we cuss is cuz we are too lazy to think of another word to say. It's a hard thing, but I know that God works in wonderful ways, so I just put my mouth in His Hands! LOL

 

[Penguin of Doom]

This is a struggle I am currently coping with.
I was/am an awful "potty mouth", not for lack of vocabulary either.

I am making a conscience effort to think before speaking and edit out the swear words. It is a small thing in the scope of all things, but I feel it will only help to improve upon my spirit.

 

[PetraFan007]

it's too hard to stop for me. I swear more than 10 times a day. I am convicted about it, so therefore I don't swear around Christians.