Swearing

Hello, my name is Jonathan and I am good friends with Matthew, Daniel, and Savannah.
Today I am going to talk about swearing and cursing.

Swearing and cursing is a big problem in everyday life. People are constantly swearing and cursing no matter where we look: on TV, on the internet, on the streets, in the workplace, and even in the home.

So, what's so bad about swearing and cursing? In Ephesians 4:29 the Bible says:
"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." First Peter 3:10 says: "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit."
James 3:9-12 says: "With it [our tongue] we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh."

So we see that from scripture, swearing and cursing is wrong.

Some people say that cursing is okay in high-stress situations, because it helps to channel anger in a way that is not physically violent. However, swearing in moments of stress and anger is, besides being sinful according to Scripture, very immature. It can be compared to the crying of a toddler:You are making a disagreeable noise, not to solve your problem (which it certainly can't), but simply because you are not getting your way. Not swearing when things get tough shows self-control, self-control shows maturity. Not having self-control is a sign of immaturity, and therefore swearing when things get tough is clearly immature.

Also, the way we speak reflects our character and says something about the state of our souls. In Matthew 15:11 Jesus tells us that it is "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” He says in Luke 6:45: "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

So as Christians, our words should reflect the amazing work that God has done within us. Galations 5:22-23 says that "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." These are the fruit we should be bearing and that people should be hearing when we speak.

Next time you hear a brother or sister swear, remind them of these scriptures. Next time you are in a tough situation, don't curse, but pray. Next time you hear a non-believer cuss, ask them to stop. If they ask why, you can give them your reasons and from there, who knows! God might work through you to bring that person to Him.