So many times, I have heard this question: "What's so wrong with swearing? They're only words, just like anything else we say." When you really stop to think about it, they have a point. If words are just a combination of sounds we make, how can some be so terrible?
I do not claim to be an expert, and I certainly do not have all the answers, but I have noticed a few things. When we read the bible, there are a lot of things we read that we shouldn't do. Some we can understand, while others we simply have to trust. It's different for everyone, but I think this is one of the things that a lot of people follow blindly. At least, that's what I've been doing, but I don't think that's what we ought to do when it comes to God's Word. We should be digging deeper and deeper, and testing everything. We need to search for answers, not just constantly say, "Well that's just the way it is." Why is it like that? Why is this information so important that God would put every writer in these specific situations, and organize space and time so perfectly, so that He could get this message to you? Why is swearing even a big deal? I mean, we know it is. God wouldn't have warned us against it if it weren't crucial information for us.
"Do not use foul or abusive language..." ~Ephesians 4:29
The thing is, words are not just a combination of sounds. We know that. Words carry deep meaning. They can cheer us up, and tear us down; they can instill fear or conquer it. Words can show us things we have never seen with our eyes; they carry the weight of ideas and dreams. There is no way that words are only sounds. Swears in every language are different, but they all carry with them the burden of an idea. The literal meaning may not be harmful, but through time these words have picked up hidden meaning. A hidden meaning that is not honorable and really ought not to be shared.
People have all sorts of reasons why they decided to pick up the habit, but it usually seems to boil down to appearances. It looks cool, it's rebellious, it helps to dissolve the "goody-two-shoes" look, or maybe it's simply normal. Whatever the reason, people don't usually swear for themselves. It needs an audience.
One of the messages society tells us on a regular basis is, "It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Be yourself and let the world deal with it." It sounds great in theory, but this is probably one of the hardest things to actually do, because every moment of every day we are constantly aware of how people react to us, and we wonder what they think. It may not always be consciously, but it's always there. It's a part of our human nature. It's a part we often long to abandon.
We also notice others in the same way. When we meet someone, we create an image in our mind of who we think they are inside. Call it prejudice, first impressions, call it whatever you like, but it's there. Every action they make influences what we think of them.When we swear, it changes how people think we are inside. Their impression of us is shifted. When we swear, no one around us will assume, "Oh, they must be a Christian!" The Good News is shared when people notice how different we are from the rest of the world. So why pretend to be like everyone else?
When a Christian swears, it sends mixed signals. Christianity and profanity are on opposite ends of the spectrum. It's like a fireman who is a serial arsonist, or a cat that barks, or a medical doctor with no credentials. It doesn't make sense, and it doesn't instill confidence. We don't go to someone like that for help, because we don't know if we can trust them.
We are called to be the salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-16). Because Jesus has saved us from the toil and burden of sin, and given us abundant life, we are changed forever. Our home is in heaven, not the earth, and we are not like the world anymore. We carry this Good News around with us wherever we go, and God longs for us to share it with everyone, to save more of the children He so loves. When people see us living differently than the world, and they see us staying true to what God tells us, even when it's difficult, they will come to wonder if there is more to it. God will give us opportunities to share His love with them. We are also ambassadors for Christ; we are His face in the world. Whatever impressions they get of us will transfer to Him. God tells us, "Do not use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be an encouragement to those who hear them." (Ephesians 4:29) With God's light and love in our hearts, we are supposed to encourage those around us! God can use our words to encourage each other profoundly, and make an eternal difference in the world. Everything we say changes the world, and "with great power, comes great responsibility".
“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.”
~Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
