Proverbs 18:21 

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

The tongue. A slab of muscle on the floor of the mouth.
The tongue. The manipulator of food that allows chewing and swallowing.
The tongue. The primary organ for taste is covered on top with papillae and taste buds.
The tongue. Kept moist by saliva and richly supplied with nerves and blood vessels.
The tongue. Small, but makes great boasts (James 3:5).
The tongue. Possessing the power of life and death.

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

Over the next few days, we will focus on the tongue. 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 so” (James 3:9-10). So…let’s target our words. Let’s be conscious of the meaning, the volume, the tone, and the facial expressions that set the context. Let’s thoughtfully and intentionally speak life-giving words. Let’s watch our tongue!

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