The Bible speaks of a powerful weapon that some of us have never learnt to master.
It is not a sword but can do just as much damage. It is the tongue. A tiny part of the body and yet used to bring down or to build up.

There’s an old English headstone that reads: ‘Beneath this sod, this lump of clay, lies Arabella Young; who on the 24th of May began to hold her tongue.’

What a sad epitaph! There are times when it is hard to hold our tongue and refrain from shouting at our children, moaning at our husband or nagging our leaders. There are also times when we will use our tongue to tear ourselves down.

“What an old hag!” we might say as we look in the mirror in the morning.

Our tongues need to come under the mastery of Christ and agree with His statements about us and about others.

During the French Revolution the king and queen were beheaded, leaving the crown prince orphaned. There was talk about beheading him too, until somebody said, ‘If you kill him you’ll just send his soul to heaven. Instead, turn him over to Old Meg and she’ll teach him vile, filthy words so his soul will be damned forever!’ However, when they turned the prince over to this woman of the streets who tried to get him to repeat all kinds of profanity, he refused, saying, ‘I was born to be a king and I will not say it!’

If you and I are daughters and sons of the king, our words should ALWAYS reflect that.
How is that for a challenge today?!