Can we talk about cursing? There’s a lot of it going on, you know. It’s in and out of us and certainly all around us. It’s the way it is.

There is a lot that’s foul and condemning in our air. We breathe it, hear it, feel it. It drags us down. We condemn ourselves and others. And somehow we’ve come to think it’s normal, acceptable, understandable.

It is … and it isn’t. Our cursing simply reminds us that we are cursed. God made us perfect but our sin cursed us. Rebellion, indifference, unbelief toward Him always does. The Law of God sees to it.

Our cursing just manifests and confirms our curse.

Curses (and cursing) don’t go away easy. That’s why Jesus came — to remove our curse by becoming the curse. Galatians 3:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 make this clear.

That’s what Christmas is all about. God wanted to put an end to our curse.

“Joy to the World,” perhaps the most famous Christmas carol of all, actually speaks to this. Verse 3 of the carol goes like this:

“No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.”

While our curse is found far and wide, the curse Jesus became for us is even wider, more universal. He bore our sin in his body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). He is the curse eliminator.

The curse can be lifted by faith in Christ. So can the cursing. The cross of Christ sees to it. Hallelujah for that!

Reflect: Are you rejoicing that your curse was lifted? Operating in this confidence or struggling to accept that Jesus has become the curse for you?

A prayer to consider: Father, thank You for being a curse-lifter and my Redeemer. Jesus, I praise You for becoming the curse and my sin-bearer.

Spirit of God, release me from a spirit of condemnation that would curse myself or others. No more let it grow in me!

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). Amen.