What's The Big Deal About Your Speech?
Part I
Did you know that each day, an average persons says around 16,000 words?¹ If we're not careful, we'll be tempted to think that words don't really matter that much. Yet, Proverbs 18:21 says that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Our tongue can be used either to share the life-giving gospel or deadly lies—and we'll reap the fruit of whatever we choose to say. Hence, let's take a look at some commonly used words—and see if they're really "that big of a deal."
Are the Bible Words Hell and Damn Wrong?
While both hell and damn are Bible words, they're often not used in the context God intended. For example, these words are wrong to use if you’re minimizing their importance. If you listen to TV long enough, commentators might say, “That was one _________ of a game,” or “That was a ______ of a fight.” When we use the word hell or damn casually, we reveal that we don’t truly understand their seriousness—and worse, we risk causing others to take these words lightly too. Can you imagine saying, “That was one holocaust of a game”? Or, “That was one school shooting of a game”? Yet, when it comes to the most serious of words—hell and damn—they're used lightly all the time. In fact, it was the humorist author P. G. Wodehouse who coined the term “What the hell,” according to the Oxford Dictionary.²
Yet hell is the opposite of humorous—it is a place of eternal punishment for the devil, his angels, and those who die without knowing Jesus. Matthew 25:41 says, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”
Further, the word damnation is just as serious—for, just like a judge sentences a guilty person to prison, God damns the unsaved to punishment in hell for eternity. The Bible says in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Another reason we want to avoid these words is if we're using them out of anger. You might have heard people say something like “You should go to __________,” or, “God _______ you.” When one does that, they are trying to take away from God what only belongs to Him: His authority to judge and damn. James 4:12 says, “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”
Whether used lightly or in anger, misuse of these words is called blasphemy, “something that you say or do that shows you do not respect God or a religion.”³ Along these same lines, profanity is “showing no respect for a god or a religion, especially through language.”⁴ As Christians, we're commanded to avoid blasphemy entirely: “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” When we avoid using the words hell and damn irreverently, we're showing a respect for God, and a seriousness about the Bible's teachings.
What About Using God's Name in Vain?
The word vain means “empty; worthless; having no substance, value, or importance.”⁵ Hence, when we say in vain, “Oh my God,” we're literally saying, “God, you are worthless.”
The third commandment forbids us from using God's name like this, saying: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7) The same principle applies to misusing Jesus’ name, or any variation of it, too.
Now, have you ever wondered why people don't say Buddha or Muhammad's name in vain? Well, whether we know it or not, our sinful flesh is not an enemy of Buddha or Muhammad, but it is an enemy against God.
Romans 8:7 says, “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
Our flesh doesn't like the fact that one day we'll give an account of our actions to God, so it will take every opportunity it can to curse God's holy name. Just as athletes might complain against referees, children might complain against their parents, and people might complain about police officers, our sinful flesh complains against the ultimate authority: God Himself.
Finally, consider that even if we never once actually curse God's name out loud, we still can be guilty of it through our actions. 2 Timothy 2:19 says, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” If you call yourself a follower of Christ, we must not disparage the name of Christ through our actions. If we do, we're just as guilty as cursing God's name out loud.
At its core, just like misusing hell and damn, taking God's name in vain - whether by word or actions - is called blasphemy. Anytime we use God's name outside of holy reverence, we are disrespecting God Himself—something that we need to avoid in its entirety.
Finally, we've seen that God-honoring speech truly is a big deal—but remember that guarding our heart is a big deal too. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Our speech and minds are inextricably linked together—what we think about influences how we talk. Hence, make sure you're guarding what goes in just as much as what comes out!
Endnotes
1. Word Raiders. “How Many Words Does the Average Person Say a Day?” Word Raiders, 2024, https://wordraiders.com/guides/how-many-words-does-the-average-person-say-a-day/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
2. “What the Hell.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/what-the-hell_v?tl=true. Accessed June 2025.
3. “Blasphemy.” Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/blasphemy. Accessed August 2025.
4. “Profanity.” Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/profanity. Accessed August 2025.
5. “Vain.” American Dictionary of the English Language, compiled by Noah Webster, 1828 https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/vain. Accessed August 2025.
