James 3:9 With (the tongue) we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.

As the apostle James says in this passage, words (the tongue) can build up or tear down, give life or take life away. As an extrovert I tend to be a talker, so this word of caution is important for me. I’m not proud of it, but I can be careless with words at times. I’ll say something in jest, but the recipient doesn’t interpret my words that way.

And, of course, the older I get the more senior I am at home, at work, in my community. As someone with a level of authority I have to be especially careful what I say and to whom.

Lord, give us grace to use the gift of words in the ways you intend. Amen.