Not Bad Words

“Saying bad words is not bad as long as you don’t mean them,” Marlon, a Christian who works in a movie production shop, said. “They are just expressions—like 'oh,' 'cool,' or 'wow!'”

“I can’t believe I am hearing that from you!” said his sister, appalled.

“When I say '#*@!#!!,' I don’t mean it at all,” Marlon explained.

“Then why even say it? There are gazillions of other words in the dictionary!”

Our standard of good words has declined over the years, and people seem to be declining with it.
 
Our tongue is a gift from God; it must honor Him with what it says. The book of Proverbs is a treasure chest of lessons on what to do with our tongue:

10:19, “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.”

21:23, “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.”

15:2, “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.”

I agree with Marlon's sister; to honor a Holy God with our tongue, we need to use words that reflect His grace.  

*The names above were changed to protect the characters’ privacy.