Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly,

for we all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also.

If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make the obey us, we also guide their whole bodies.

It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are all steered by a very small rudder whenever the pilot’s inclination wishes.

In the same way the tongue is a small member yet has great pretensions. Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze.  James Chapter 3:1-5

Never underestimate the power of words. Spoken, written, signed, sung, and in whatever language you can think of, they can either build someone up to great heights, or tear someone down to the very bone. We have all experienced something in our lives where words have made all the difference. We can not un-say, just as we can not un-hear them once they come off our tongues. One single word can change the course of everything.

How powerful that tongue is. It is the savoring place for stuff we put in, and the beginning point for what we put out.  It is so easy for us to let the emotions out of our minds and have them come off of our lips in a degrading way. We know we have to not do this, and to find ways to curtail that. It is so hard to do, even I have struggled with this, in the heat of the moment we are in. Oh how easy it is to slip a hardcore quip out into the world, and how devastating it can be on the receiving end.

It is hard to temper the tongue. There are ways to do it, but they are difficult. One way, try to center yourself in the moment. If you feel the hostility boiling inside, leaving that situation, if possible, is a great way to tame anger that is about to explode from your body. Remember, anger, just like love, is something you can choose. That is easier to say than really understand, and I am aware of that. Using words in order to “get back” at someone never goes well. It is better to just say nothing.

I ask everyday that my wonderful loving God give me the means to help love come off of my tongue instead of hatred.