James 3:9-10

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

Stop for a minute and consider the wide variety of words that come out of your mouth. I’m sure you say some wonderful, encouraging things to people…but you also say some hurtful, degrading things, too. On Sunday morning you praise the God who made you and the Savior who rescued you…but by mid-afternoon you are cursing that obnoxious driver or exploding at your disobedient child. You are not alone.

Every human being struggles with the words that escape from their mouths, and that struggle doesn’t end when you get saved. Perhaps that is what lead King David to pen Psalm 141:3 when he said, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” Perhaps a sign that says, “Proceed With Caution” would also help.

In the end, our sanctification through the power of the Holy Spirit should move the slider that measures blessings vs. curses progressively in the blessings direction. With each passing day we should become more aware of the tongue’s power to harm, and thus keep it in check…but also more aware of the tongue’s power to heal and comfort and encourage, and thus use it in that way more and more.