Most people think “bad words” are limited to the four-letter variety.

They have no problem shouting and screaming at someone so long as they avoid this or that four letter word. Do we really think one is okay but the other is not?

There are all kinds of “bad” words that upset God. For example, “cursing” is not limited to just saying a “wordy derd,” it’s also about speaking evil against someone (James 3:10).

 

Flattery is another kind of “bad” word (Psalm 12:3). We sweet talk someone in order to coerce them into giving us something we want (something we don’t need, or something we shouldn’t have).

And then there’s “evil speaking,” or the compulsion some people have to run down others (James 4:11). If you can’t say something nice…how’s that go? Something something “don’t say anything at all”? I forget.

Lying is yet another (Revelation 21:8), as is its conceited cousin, “boasting” (Romans 1:30). You may think you’re all that and a bag of chips, but you’re not. Thinking you are is one kind of sin. Telling me about it is another.

Then there’s the guy who can’t keep his big mouth shut and always ends up saying something he shouldn’t. That’s a froward person, and God doesn’t care for it (Proverbs 10:32).

Lest you think you can get away with yelling at the slowpoke two cars up when you’re in a rush to get to work, even though he can’t hear you…yep…still wrong (Matthew 12:36).

 

I’m going to have to stop the list here, even though I could go on. I won’t because my feet are killing me I’ve stepped on them so much.

Let’s season our speech, what’dya say?