With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:9-10 (NIV)
Cursing, profanity and filthy language have long been a problem for humanity. I have shared with our youth at CBC that when I was in high school I used a lot of profanity - something that saddens me now as I look back on my life. I knew it was wrong because it was dishonoring to God, but I did it anyway because it seemed to be viewed as "cool" if you cussed. Rather than having a desire to honor God with my tongue I chose to compromise so others would accept me more.
God's word makes it clear that profane and filthy language is not honoring to Him. But more and more it is becoming acceptable by believers. There are certainly those who use it and know it is wrong. However, my concern is those believers who think there is no problem with it. When the world considers something profane and Christians have no problem with it, we have a real problem on our hands.
Profanity is more common today in music, TV and movies than ever before. Use of profanity that used to get a PG-13 rating in movies now seems to get a PG rating instead. Our culture seems to be more accepting of it. And so have we as Christians. I don't know how many times I have heard and even used myself the line that bad language in a song or movie or TV show doesn't affect me. You may not hear profanity and then start spouting it, but what we put in our minds no doubt affects us. This is why I believe God directs us not to "conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" - Romans 12:2a.
I recently read an article by
Plugged In on this subject. It was entitled
"Why Profanity Matters". In it the author does a good job of dealing with this issue. I would encourage you to read it.
I believe the Bible makes it quite clear that as with all of our life our language is to honor the Lord. As we yield to the Holy Spirit who indwells us as believers, the fruit that is produced includes self-control. Sure the filthy language during the time the Bible was written didn't refer specifically to the English profanity used today - it didn't have to. This command crosses all cultures and languages. And it reaches beyond just a profane word and applies to jokes and conversations that are filthy yet profanity free. The language we use is just one aspect of our Christian life but is still important. Let's use the tongue the Lord has given us to honor Him!
