Is it a sin to cuss? Yes I asked this question to the members of my first small group. I was not positive I was a Christian back then, but I was working on it.
Actually, I was working my angles. I want to be a Christian, but I don’t want to give up my favorite words.
I want Jesus to be the Lord of my life, but does he really say we can’t cuss? Where is it? Where does it say that in the bible?
I get not saying HIS NAME in vain. I won’t do that. But what about all of the other little descriptive adjectives that just roll off the tongue?
Really? Really! No cussing?
Friendly Christian Nudging
Finally, one of the more patient members of my small group, said for me to just pray that the Holy Spirit would take away my desire to cuss. She explained that maybe If I didn’t want to anymore then it wouldn’t be so hard to give it up.
It was sort of circular logic to me. I didn’t want to give it up so how could I pray for God to take away something I wanted. Do you see the circle? I “want” to do it so why would I want to take away a “want”.
But, if I didn’t have the want, I wouldn’t miss anything right?
Okay, I was starting to see an end to the circle.
Now why do I have to ask the Holy Spirit? Can’t I just ask God now? Or Jesus?
Bless these friends as they tried to simply (ha ha) explain the Holy Spirit to me.
He is in you. He will guide you. He gives you the fruit of self discipline.
One day, probably after I said a bad word in front of one of my three children, I finally succumbed and prayed that the Holy Spirit would remove this desire.
That He would help me find other words to express myself.
Ask And You Shall Receive
Voila! Overnight!
Overnight He changed me. I just stopped cussing. And this was no small feat! I was like a sailor. It was every sentence. (I’m not exaggerating.)
And then all of the sudden, without any effort at all, I just stopped cussing.
[Disclaimer #1: On rare occasion, like physical pain, an occasional not so great word may slip, but we were every sentence before!]
I Met The Holy Spirit
The amazing thing about this story….
….this is how I met the Holy Spirit.
….this was a huge platform for building my faith.
During my first seeking months I didn’t understand or get the Holy Spirit. I was finally comprehending God the Father and Jesus the Son, but the Holy Spirit blew my mind.
When I just stopped cussing over night, I knew it was God. It is just one of those things that from the outside you might say,
“You just tried really hard and made it happen. The God thing was just a placebo effect.”
Or some other skepticism. Which is fine. I understand where you are coming from.
But for me, I know.
The reason I know is because I knew how foul my mouth was and I actually liked it. I didn’t see the problem. I was frustrated that it was a barrier to my relationship with Jesus. I wasn’t trying to stop!
A Stepping Stone to Faith
This was one little step toward a faith that would build and build. God would continue to do things through me, and in me, that maybe only I know is not possible in my own strength.
It is this phenomena that I now recognize as the Holy Spirit leading and guiding me.
[Disclaimer #2: The Holy Spirit isn’t a magic genie. He knows what we each need to build our faith. This has been a way He has built mine.]
Try it. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you and lead you through change, problems, and even disciplines. Maybe you could do it on your own if you really tried. Maybe you have tried before and not been able to change. This is what is so cool. It is just between you and the Spirit. You know. You know what you are capable of and you will know when it is God!
Or maybe you are already well acquainted with the Holy Spirit. How did you first meet the Holy Spirit? Please share with us in the comment section!
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At CrossRoads we offer Christian Life Coaching. Spiritual direction is a part of our life coaching services. If you need someone to give you that little nudge, to pray with you and for you, or to help you process God’s leading in your life, contact us for more information on life coaching.
