Okay, I am going to describe something. See if you can figure out what it is. Ready?

• A slab of muscle on the floor of the mouth.
• The manipulator of food that allows chewing and swallowing.
• Kept moist by saliva and richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels.
• The primary organ for taste—covered on top with papillae and taste buds.
• Possesses the power of life and death.

Yep—you got it. It’s the tongue. Here’s what the Proverbs say about the power of the tongue.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

How can such a small body part possess such power? The words it forms both mend and break the heart. The sounds it frames have given people the encouragement to do great things and caused the death of dreams. The speech it shapes has allowed some people to live and sent others to their deaths.

With the same tongue, James says, “we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God…these things ought not to be” (3:9-10). So…let’s focus on our words. Let’s be conscious of the volume, the tone, and the facial expressions. Let’s come to grips with the power of the tongue!

Father, sometimes we don’t need deep theology. We simply need to control our tongues. Make us conscious this week of what we say and how we say it. For Christ’s sake. Amen.