Someone is listening

At the end of every year I carefully evaluate myself and list what I consider to be my biggest weaknesses. I rank them and then prioritize them and finally decide on my number one biggest weakness. I single this out as a goal to conquer and then spend the following year trying my best to do just that. I have divided my weaknesses into spiritual and non-spiritual and the spiritual take priority.

This year one of my top goals is to stop using any profanity at all. I am pleasantly surprised at my good progress so far. This bad habit has plagued me since I was old enough to talk, and it is not like I have not undertaken this project before. I was thinking this morning about trying to quit way back when I owned my former company, (16 years ago). My strategy was to wear heavy rubber bands around my wrist. Whenever I would slip up and let out an oath or cuss word, PING, I would snap my wrist hard with the thick rubber bands. Aside from bringing tears to my eyes, a red welt to my wrist and a look of bewilderment (as if I had lost my mind or was a masochist) from the casual observer, it was ineffective.

Next I read somewhere that athlete Deion Sanders had the same problem and would give everyone that heard him say a curse word $100. I reduced the amount proportionate to my income and tried that a while, but aside from making some folks, (other than me), very happy, that was not effective either. What to do?

This year my grandchildren came to visit me. They are ages 12, 8, and 5. I do not recall using profanity a single time during their visit. I am determined that I will not be a bad example to them. Additionally I have noticed that I do not use bad language when around my pastor and associates with a similar strong belief system. This gave me hope as I knew I could do it under the right circumstance and if then, I should be able to do it anytime, as it clearly is a matter of willpower and mental control or just making up my mind not to cuss. I began to think about Jesus Christ. I do not want to do this in front of Him anymore than my grandkids, pastor or anyone else. In fact I want to please Him more than anything else in my life.

On a scale of 1-10 with ten being the best, I would rank myself an 8 so far; heretofore I was probably a four or five, so very good progress has been made. The supreme test came the other day while fishing with a first-timer. This person tangled up every rod and reel on my boat repeatedly, missed several sailfish because he would not follow instructions, and accidentally dropped one of my most expensive rods and reels overboard in 200 feet of water. He was successful in managing to hook me with a sharp hook through his incessant flouncing and even laugh’ when I screamed in pain. Ordinarily that day would be a 1 or possibly a 2 for cursing and possibly the same for thumping him on the head with my fist, but believe it or not I was a 10. The ninth wonder of the world has surfaced

If you suffer from this malady or possibly something similar, you might just try to envision Jesus watching your every move and listening to your every word. The Bible tells us that one day we will give an accounting for every idle word, so be careful

Matt. 12:36
But I say to you that for every
idle word men may speak, they will
give account of it in the day of
judgment.
For by your words you will be
justified and by your words you will
be condemned.