Transparency Shares: Hell is a Curse Word

In my profession as a pastry chef, one thing I’ve noticed working in the “back of the house” is a profound amount of profane language. As a co-worker and I were talking one day, he stated, “It’s the nature of the business.” As I reviewed the thirteen plus years I have spent in this industry, it was then I realized it was commonplace to curse, drink and smoke amongst chefs due to the high level of stress. Well, at least that is the excuse most would give, including me.

Even after I was saved, God had to address the stronghold of cursing the Enemy had on my life. Curse words rolled off my tongue with ease for many years and because of this, it would take extended times of prayer, fasting and constant repentance to break this stronghold. Initially, I tried to do this on my own without God's help and to no avail, began by spelling the word out so that I wouldn’t say it. Next, I would say words that rhymed with the curse word and finally I would say the first letter with ‘in’ on the end of it. God revealed to me that no matter how it came out of my mouth, it was still dishonoring to Him (1).

During the process of my deliverance, every curse word I would hear began to cause me to be extremely uncomfortable. As I reviewed what seemed to be a lifetime of cussin', many people that I encountered would tell me how “un-lady like” it was to speak profane language. It’s almost as if it brings the ugly out of us and the natural beauty (being created in the image of God (2)) disappears.

One of the most used words that I would hear whether in conversation or in the media was the word “hell”. During my meditation in the Word, I began to ponder upon these types of profane words. I contemplated whether they were actually profane because they were used in the Bible too. As the Holy Spirit spoke to me, He revealed to me it is in the context that we use these words that cause them to be profane. So, saying “__ naw!” is still displeasing in God’s sight. Have we become so complacent in our lives or Christian walk that we believe God is not concerned with how we use the words we speak as much as the words themselves?

One morning, I found myself using this word as I recalled an interaction with a co-worker. I immediately reminded myself (as I repented) that “hell” is a curse word. Then, like a ton of bricks - it hit me! Hell is a curse word! A curse is defined in the dictionary as follows: 1. swearword: a

swearword, obscenity, or blasphemous oath 2. evil prayer: a malevolent appeal to a supernatural being for harm to come to somebody or something, or the harm that is thought to result from this 3. source of harm: a cause of unhappiness or harm i.e. the curse of poverty.
The latter definition is what hit me like a ton of bricks - Hell is the source of harm; a cause of unhappiness or harm… i.e. the curse of Hell. Nothing good comes from a curse! I immediately thought of the place where Satan resides and the curse of spending eternal life there! Hell is a curse word! There are no blessings that come from using the word with our mouths and definitely not in residing there!

If on the other hand, Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly

(3), why do we call to (speak it out (4)) “Hell” every chance we get? What if we decided today, not to allow any curse words that destroy and dim our beauty to roll off of our tongues and decide that Heaven is where we would rather reside and call to it? Heaven cometh! In Jesus Name! (5)

Praise Be To God and With God’s Love,

Dee-Dee McDuffie
5/24/2011
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Scripture References:

(1) Ephesians 5
(2) Genesis 1:27
(3) John 10:10
(4) Proverbs 18:21
(5) James 3: 3-12