Cussing 

The definition of cuss:  a curse; a difficult person

Since we are on the subject of our mouths and tongues, it seems fitting that we discuss words….bad ones.  The Bible states that we will give an account for every idle word that we speak. (Matt 12:33-37) Oh, my gosh!  I recall having that really sink into my spirit when I read it. 

Now my immediate thoughts didn’t go right to gossiping about others (which I also had to repent for) or talking bad about someone, (which I also had to repent for) but my thoughts went straight to the cuss words I spoke.  Now mind you, I didn’t go around cussing all the time (nice girls weren’t supposed to do that) but when I cussed, I cussed.  I hadn’t been raised cussing but as things happened in my life and disappointments came my way, so did cussing.  It was like nothing took the place of a good cuss word…nothing…especially, for me, the “F” word.  I would say, “Well, it just rolls all the others up into it and you don’t have to say them all; you can just say THE BIG ONE and it will take care of all of the little ones. (What thinking!)

I thought I could pick and choose when I would use them. After really turning to Christ with my life, I knew I had to start getting this area of my mouth and my words under control.  I tried to be so good.  Then I was put to a really big test that taught me an invaluable lesson.  Titanic the movie came out and I didn’t go see it.  As a matter of fact, I really had stopped watching TV and movies altogether…I was too busy trying to finally find my life.  I had a friend that had a birthday and she wanted me to watch Titanic with her.  Her husband was going to be away and she really kept begging me to watch this with her.   I finally gave in and said, yes, but I really didn’t want to.  You are probably thinking, “Come on, Molly. It’s only a movie.”  I know but I am telling you that my stomach had a big ache in it the day before and the day of watching this movie. The day came, she brought the movie and within the first five minutes or so, the actors had used the Lord’s name in vain several times…every time they did, it was as if a knife cut my chest. 

The movie was good. In fact, I fell in love with this movie so I watched it several more times…until this one day.  I was vacuuming and cleaning my room and something fell over and broke. Well, the very first words out of my mouth were GD it!  It came out as fast as lightening from the Heavens.  I couldn’t believe it! I was in shock. I stopped and repented over and over…I just couldn’t believe that the God I loved so much heard me use His name in vain.  I was so embarrassed and ashamed.  When I prayed that evening, I couldn’t even look up to Heaven, as was my custom because I just couldn’t look Him in the face…What did He think of me?  I felt I had let Him down. 

The old saying of “in the mind, out the mouth” kept resounding through my brain that day…. I knew from that moment on that what I watched and listened to would somehow, someway manifest itself out of me for good or for bad.  I knew I had to be smarter than that in my walk with the Lord if I was going to gain the victory for myself.  Have I slipped since then? Yes. I would be a liar if I told you that I hadn’t.  I have learned one great big thing about my mouth though. Knowing that I will kneel before the Lord to answer for every idle word I have spoken helps keep me on my toes, so to speak, with my mouth.  Learning to control my words is one of the biggest battles I fight.  Remember the saying,” Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me."  That is a lie.  Words can hurt you.

My new “F” word is Father….thank God!  We are given the option of having either Widescreen or Fullscreen when we watch movies.  Why don’t we have the option of watching with cuss words and sex or without?

 Molly