Walk through almost any workplace today, and you’ll hear it. I’ve worked in a lot of different settings throughout my career. One thing has remained remarkably consistent wherever I’ve been: many people can’t get through a single conversation without dropping a few F-bombs or other vulgar words into completely ordinary speech.
They’re not yelling.
They’re not telling an off-color joke.
They’re simply talking.
Some of the most professional people have the filthiest mouths. Profanity has become so common that many people don’t even realize they’re doing it anymore. It’s woven into everyday conversations as naturally as saying “hello.”
As Christians, though, we’re called to be different. Not because we’re trying to appear morally superior to everyone else, but because our speech is meant to reflect the One we follow. The words that come out of our mouths reveal far more than our vocabulary. They reveal our hearts.
The Mouth Is a Window Into the Heart
Jesus said:
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:45
Those words are convicting. Our speech doesn’t simply slip out by accident. It flows from what fills our hearts. If our hearts are saturated with anger, bitterness, pride, impurity, or worldliness, those things eventually make their way into our conversations.
Conversely, when our hearts are being transformed by Christ, grace begins flowing from our lips. Our mouths become evidence of God’s work within us.
God Cares About How We Speak
Scripture has a lot to say about the words Christians choose. Paul writes:
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” – Ephesians 4:29
He continues:
“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” – Ephesians 5:4
And again:
“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” – Colossians 3:8
James reminds us that while the tongue is small, it possesses incredible power.
“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire…” – James 3:5-6
God doesn’t simply tell us what not to say. He tells us what should replace it. Words that build up, encourage, and speak truth. Words that point people toward Christ.
Taking the Lord’s Name Seriously
There is another form of speech that has become so commonplace many people don’t even think twice about it. Using God’s name in vain.
The Third Commandment says:
“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.” – Exodus 20:7
God repeats this principle elsewhere:
“You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.” – Leviticus 19:12
God’s name is holy. It isn’t punctuation. It isn’t an expression of surprise. It isn’t a replacement for “wow.” It isn’t something to attach to anger, frustration, or casual conversation. Whether someone says “God damn,” “Oh my God,” or another expression that treats His holy name carelessly, Christians should stop and ask themselves a simple question: Am I treating God’s name with the reverence He deserves?
Jesus taught us to begin our prayers with these words:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” – Matthew 6:9
If God’s name is to be hallowed, then it should also be honored in our everyday conversations.
I’ve heard every excuse imaginable.
“That’s Just How I Talk.”
“I’ve always talked like this.”
“It’s just part of my personality.”
“Everybody does it.”
“I can’t help it.”
I simply don’t believe that, because I’ve watched people stop. The moment they’re interviewing for a job. The moment they’re standing in front of their grandmother. The moment they’re speaking to their pastor. Suddenly, they somehow manage to have an entire conversation without profanity. That tells me something. It’s possible.
The issue usually isn’t ability. It’s desire. Changing your speech isn’t impossible. In fact, it’s much easier than most people think. Like every habit, it begins with a decision. If honoring Christ becomes more important than sounding like everyone else around you, your vocabulary will eventually begin to change.
My Personal Conviction
I don’t curse. I don’t swear. I don’t cuss. I don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. Whatever phrase you want to use, it’s simply not part of my vocabulary. That isn’t because I think I’m better than anyone else. It’s because that’s the way I was raised, and it’s the way I intend to raise my children.
One thing I’ve observed over the years is that children usually sound like the people they spend the most time around. Parents who constantly use profanity or casually misuse God’s name shouldn’t be surprised when their children begin speaking the same way. When those children are playing with mine and influencing them to adopt that kind of speech, that simply isn’t acceptable in our home, or at least wasn’t acceptable in my home, when I was allowed to live there.
Words matter.
Over the years, something interesting has happened nearly everywhere I’ve worked or volunteered. I’ll walk into a meeting. Someone will let a few choice words fly. Then they’ll stop…look at me…and apologize. I never ask for an apology. I don’t expect one. Most of the time I don’t even care. Yet it has happened well over one hundred times throughout my career.
Why?
Because people know where I stand. They know I don’t use that kind of language. They know I take my faith seriously. Whether they share my convictions or not, many have shown enough respect to acknowledge them. To me, that’s a far stronger testimony than trying to lecture someone about their vocabulary.
Now let me be equally honest. I am not perfect. I’ve said words I regret. When I was younger, I definitely went through a phase where profanity seemed funny or made me feel older. Thankfully, it didn’t last long. My parents didn’t talk that way. My grandparents didn’t talk that way. They taught me that our words matter, and eventually those lessons became my own convictions.
Have I slipped as an adult? Absolutely. I’ve probably said things like, “That was a half-ass job,” or “Get your ass in the car,” in moments of frustration. I used to even think calling someone an “ass-hat” was funny. (BTW, Merriam Webster says that an “ass-hat” is a stupid, annoying, or detestable person). I’ve likely said “damn,” and maybe even “shit,” a handful of times over the years. I’m not proud of those moments, but they are the exception, not the rule.
If I averaged just four curse words per year throughout my forty-seven years of life, that would total only 188 seconds. That’s about 3.13 minutes. In other words, only 0.0000127% of my lifetime has been spent using profanity. Granted, I wasn’t cursing when I was small, but I have heard 5 year olds swear like their parents, so bear with me.
Say I cursed at my children every single day for fifteen years, one word a day, which I absolutely did not, that would amount to only about 1.5 hours of my entire life. That’s just 0.000369% of a forty-seven-year lifetime.
Now compare that to someone who averages only one F-bomb in every sentence they speak. Assuming they speak roughly 1,000 sentences each day, over forty-seven years they would spend nearly 199 full days, more than six and a half months of their life, doing nothing but saying that one word. That equals approximately 1.16% of an entire lifetime devoted to profanity.
Think about that for a moment. Three minutes. Versus…One hundred ninety-nine days.
Those numbers don’t determine someone’s salvation, nor do they tell us everything about a person’s heart. But they do reveal something about what has become normal. Our habits become patterns, our patterns shape our character, and eventually our words become a reflection of what fills our hearts.
Our Words Are Part of Our Witness
The world doesn’t need Christians who merely avoid certain words. It needs Christians whose speech consistently reflects the grace of Christ. Imagine if believers became known not for louder arguments…but for gentler answers.
Not for crude humor…but for encouraging words.
Not for carelessly throwing around God’s holy name…but for treating it with reverence.
That kind of speech stands out. That kind of speech points people to Jesus.
A Final Challenge
Take an honest inventory of your speech this week. Would your family say your words build people up? Would your coworkers notice that your vocabulary is different from everyone else’s? Would your children naturally imitate the way you speak?
Most importantly…Would Jesus be honored by the words coming out of your mouth? None of us will speak perfectly this side of heaven, but every one of us can grow.
Ask the Lord to transform your heart, because when He changes the heart, the mouth will inevitably follow. May this become our daily prayer:
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14
