Cussing

Frank Martin is the men's head basketball coach at the University of South Carolina.  He has made the news recently for his bad language.  At a game against the Florida Gators, Coach Martin cussed very loudly and directly at one of his own players.  It was a pretty intense and heated moment.  So he has been suspended for one game, which means he will not get to coach his team that day.

I'm not here to bash Frank Martin.  I've used some words in my life that were not appropriate either.  I'd be lying if I acted like I've never cussed before.

The truth is, we all have most likely uttered a profane word or two in our lives.

Does God care about our language?

Actually, yes He does.

Ephesians 4:29 tells us "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth..."

James 3:10 tells us "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers and sisters, this should not be."

God wants us to use healthy, noble, positive language in our communication.  And He wants our language to rise above the gutter-level, trashy talk that saturates our world.  Ultimately, His desire is for pure language to spill forth from a pure heart.

I wish Coach Martin well.  Everyone makes mistakes, and God can certainly forgive him, just as He forgives the rest of us.  May the Coach and the rest of us see this as a valuable reminder to carefully select healthy, positive words in our daily communication with others.

Let's honor The Lord today with our words.

Let's edify others today with our words.

Let's set a positive example today with our words.

Let's reflect the goodness of Jesus Christ today in what we think, say, and do.