If you aren't willing to reach up to the bar, you won't get far in the race

Today I was talking to a friend. I'd noticed that they had started swearing lately. Once before I had told them that I didn't care if they swore.

That Jordan was stuck in a rut that couldn't get above 20 days. It's day 196. And I've learned one thing now that I hadn't learned then:
If you do not go the full measure, if you do not pour everything you have into Christ, you will never be free of whatever bondage entraps you.

I asked this friend if she had taken the Sacrament that day. They replied in the affirmative. The Sacrament is a physical reminder for the covenants we took upon Baptism and also a reminder of what the Atonement means.

At-one-ment. At-one-moment. At-one-moment-we-are-with-Christ. The Atonement is to become closer to Christ. And thus, when we take advantage of the sacrifice that Christ has offered to us, we come closer to him.

When we swear, we are not being Christlike. We are offending the Spirit. This friend of mine told me in no uncertain terms that they respected my opinion but that they were going to disregard my words.

I am at day 196. They are still struggling to rise above a week with their addiction. And now I'm questioning how they think they can win when they're repeatedly offending a member of the very Godhead that they're appealing to to escape their bondage.

It doesn't make sense to me. Swearing is not an attribute of Christ. He rebuked those that used profane language. Using the excuse of "well it's just words", yes, and we are just men, just in the cause of the very highest Authority in the universe, just commanded to be like Him and His Son in every moment of every day.

I'm not going to do the traditional "I'm not perfect, I sin too" line because this isn't about me. Ultimately everything we do is about Christ. We are players on the field of Christ's battle, engaged in Christ's cause, for Christ. Christ is the only way to freedom. And thus, everything is about Christ.

Or, it should be.