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Our words matter. What we say to others, what we say to ourselves, what we say about others and ourselves. It all matters.

Jeremiah 15:19 says: If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless words, you will be my spokesman.

This verse convicted me to the core several years ago. Not that I sat around and talked badly all the time, but my husband could easily attest to the fact that I could go on a verbal tirade when hurt, provoked, or tired. My words were probably more often unworthy than they were every worthy and they were heavily peppered with sarcasm.

But our words have to go beyond being edifying. They need to be clean, too.

I don't even have to explain that picture. You know what it means. (Just in case you live under a rock or don't run the TBS Marathon on Christmas Day, google Ralphie changing the tire.)

I can't say that I've never uttered a cuss word. I can't say that they never escape my lips now. When they do they are usually coming out in the car (shocking, I know) or while exercising (static lunges to a lunge hold....ouch). The horrifying part of this is that even if I don't say what I'm really thinking, God knows the words that are on my lips before they come out. I can't even claim innocence because I didn't say it because He knows I was thinking it. 

Profanity has become common place. I wish it wasn't, but it is. And movie ratings today are incredibly liberal compared to what they were when I was a kid. Now they can have limited usage and still be PG or PG-13, when in the 80's they would have been rated R. But as common as it is, what should wake us from our slumber is when the Lord's name is taken in vain or someone drops JC like they're talking about Penny's. And sadly this post isn't inspired by a movie.

Earlier I found out that someone whom I would have never suspected to drop JC apparently drops it like its hot. Not only did this come as a huge surprise, but it made me incredibly sad. If someone were to take one of my kid's names and make it profane to be used in anger or frustration I'd be upset. And yet some, even Christians as is this case, don't understand the magnitude or beauty of that name and make it as common as a 2 Day Sale that lasts a week.

As believers we should be the ones setting and raising the bar, not lowering it. And while we can't walk around wagging our fingers, we can make better choices to use the vast language we have at our disposal to be an example to those around us and clean up our own mouths at the same time. #FootballSeasonIsComing Thankfully we gifted people like Tim Hawkins among us to share some great options. 

My prayers is that we will realize just how much our words impact others and ourselves. We have to stop pretending that our words don't have consequences, even if they are meant to be funny. If nothing else, the current state of our world should make that abundantly clear. Maybe with time we'll regain our ability to blush and use our words only for good.