Sometimes, I don't see the problem, and I think to myself "what's the big deal? they're only words."
And other times, I feel really convicted and remember verses that my mother likes to quote like "out of the heart the mouth speaks" or something like that.
She's not referring only to swearing, of course, she says that every time I rip someone a new one with my rapier wit and sharp tongue. I do have a sharp tongue. And I think I do hurt people's feelings.
I am sorry. Afterward.
But typically, in the moment, I am enraged at the injustice that I perceive. Or the idiocy. Or both.
I'm awful if it's both. Laughably awful. I say horrible things that are horribly funny and people laugh, not because they agree, though the might, but because what I said was so hilariously and awfully true.
Yeah.
That's not speaking the truth in love.
Being funny doesn't mean I'm right, and speaking truth harshly, doesn't help the person I am speaking to or about.
And I want to be helpful.
I want to be nice.
I guess that brings me back to the whole swearing thing.
I have used swear words before. I have even used faux swear words... a lot.
And I feel better for a while. But then I don't.
I know that people think less of me when I swear, and no, I don't really care what other people think.
But...
I'm a Christian. And I don't want people to think less of Jesus because I swear.
I don't want people to think less of Jesus because I am uncharitable in how I speak of others.
I don't want to stand in someone's way of discovering the truth about Christ.
And while I don't care what people think about me, I care what they think about Jesus.
So I'm not going to swear and I'm going to speak truth in love.
Even when people are acting unjustly or dumb.
That's my challenge for today.
Where do you stand on the whole "swearing" issue?
No comments:
Post a Comment