“Let The Words of My Mouth…”

The acapella group Take 6 sang a wonderful little vignette titled Let The Words. The lyrics are:

“Let the words of my mouth bring You praise;

Let the words that I speak be seasoned with Your love and grace.

May the things, oh Lord, that I choose to say,

Bring glory, not shame to Your name each day.

Let the words of my mouth bring You praise.”

http://www.metrolyrics.com/let-the-words-lyrics-take-6.html

“Profanity (also called bad language, strong language, foul language, bad words, vulgar, swearing, cursing, cussing, or using expletives) is a subset of a language's lexicon that is generally considered in society to be strongly impolite or offensive. It can show a desecration or debasement of someone or something, or show strong or intense emotion. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures (such as flipping the middle finger), or other social behaviors that are construed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, obnoxious, foul, desecrating, or other forms.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profanity

Profanity or “cussing” has become so prevalent in today’s society. Some people find it amusing to teach children this verbal communication as their first use of language.  What used to be shocking and appalling has now become profitable, acceptable, and socially “cool.”

Unfortunately, this is not reality. One of the top qualities sought out, especially in the Corporate America sector, is Communication Skills. This is often the basis of judgment of others. I personally am guilty of this. If someone has a PhD, I have a certain expectation of their verbal prowess than I do of someone with no High School Diploma. Profanity from either lends itself to an unconscious judgment of them.

When I am subjected to profanity, either verbally, in writing, or in the media, it is as if someone is scratching their finger nails across a chalk board. It is also as though someone is poking me in my skin with tiny needle pricks. Both are painful and stressful.

A former colleague, the late Mrs. Lucy Foster, once reprimanded our manager by saying: “Use of Profanity simply reveals your lack of education, a vocabulary, and class.”

The Bible (English Standard Version) gives approximately 38 directives when it comes to profanity & obscene language. A few include:

Matthew 15:10-11 - And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

Matthew 12:36-37 - I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Psalm 19:14 - Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

James 1:26 - If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

Exodus 20:7 - “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”

http://www.openbible.info/topics/using_profanity

Motivational Speaker Les Brown was very passionate about the subject on his Facebook page:

Avoid foul mouthed people. If you’re one of them, commit to lose this part of yourself. Don’t allow yourself to be a vessel or a sponge for filthy or disrespectful language, or a garbage disposal for violent words ~ especially from people who are supposed to love you.

Some people enjoy using profanity, even when talking to children, or when in their presence. Many people pay to listen to foul mouthed rappers, comedians and various entertainers. However, the acceptance of this as normal only speaks to our loss of spirituality and self-respect. It highlights the tragic lowering of our standards for language which has negatively impacted our children.

Cursing is the strongest expression of a weak mind. Don’t fool yourself! Death and life are in the tongue. Your words create your world and your world reflects your reality. You always have a choice. Use words that represent the highest and best expression of yourself and of what you see for your future and your life. You deserve!

Posted: May 23, 2014 https://www.facebook.com/Brown.Les?ref=br_tf

Interesting Quotes include:

“Profanity is the effort of a feeble brain to express itself forcibly.” ― Spencer W. Kimball

“Obscenity and profanity had no meaning as such among those people. They were emotional expressions of inarticulate people with small vocabularies.” ― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

“Your ability to communicate will account for fully 85% of your success in your business and in your life.” – Brian Tracy

“Don’t underestimate the seductive power of a decent vocabulary.” – unknown

If we all would focus less on “profanity” and more on “humanity,” this journey called LIFE would be a little easier to travel…