A temporate and reasonable set of measures to stop swearing:
1. Make a sincere commitment to curb your speech and hold back expletives because I don't think that a follower of Jesus should swear.
2. Try, in your own strength to purify your speech and speak only encouraging, edifying words of truth that build up those surrounding you.
3. Fail miserably. Try again and again. Have the same result. Be humbled.
4. Realise by God's grace that you cannot conquer your sin in your strength, no matter how determined you are or how hard you try (Romans chapter 7 verses 18-19).
5. Let it solemnly sink in that you are a sinner. If you were not, you would not need a Saviour. It is not in your own efforts and works that you are made more like Christ in the process of 'sanctification' (this means a life lived more like Jesus). It is by God's grace and His grace alone. Stop trying to clean up your own act, you will never get there alone.
6. Ask yourself why you want to stop swearing. Is it so you can tick another thing off the self glorifying to-do list? Or is it so that you'd magnify the work of Christ in your life, causing Him to be glorified in the renewal of your heart? Our speech is an overflow of our heart. If our hearts are not pure how then can our thoughts and words be? It's the condition of our hearts that we must seek Him to remedy with His grace.
7. Make a cup of coffee and sit down with your Bible. I suggest this - start by reading Ephesians chapter four, verse twenty nine. Consider honestly the effects of your words on others.
8. After meditating upon that, flick to Luke, chapter six, verse forty five and read. Take a moment to contemplate the condition of your own heart and how language reflects this and how it reflects on your Creator.
9. Head over to 1 Peter, chapter three, verse one. Think about what it means to speak evil and deceit and a time recently that you have done this. Guilty!
10. Pray to God, asking that He would soften your heart to His unchanging, ever-relevant Word. Ask that He may cause you to dwell on the things that you have read, helping you to believe in them and that the Holy Spirit may continue to purify your heart, making you white as snow, allowing your speech to become a mark of His work in you.
11. Allow the Holy Spirit to imbue you to righteousness – for whatsoever things are loevly, think of those things. Repeat!
12. This is the hallmark in my view – thanking the Lord that our salvation has nothing to do with my/you or my/your cuss words. It is all of the Lord.
Scarlett Jones resides by the seaside in Wellington New Zealand and loves reading, films, craft and quality time with friends and family.
Scarlett Jones' previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/scarlett-jones.html