Smack talk. Tongue lashings. Verbal abuse. Violence is frequently found inside our mouths. Who needs fists when the tongue can be just as effective? And since there’s no blood, we don’t consider “curse words” violent at all. James would beg to differ (James 3:6-9). He uses strong language to describe verbal violence–evil, corrupt, deadly, poisonous, destructive, from hell.
We all grew up with the “sticks and stones may break my bones” myth. We all have been on the receiving end of words that deeply wound and break our spirits. Words DO hurt. And words linger in our psyches, effecting our self-image. “Curse words” draw boundaries for our lives and we struggle to become free. Even a comment as innocent as “you’re not very good at math” binds us for life.
We know the destructive power of curses. So, why would we use them on others? Good question. But once a hellish fire is started, a heavenly fire extinguisher is required. We need Holy Spirit control.
Tongue on Fire 