A current commercial opens with a husband and wife preparing for a backyard gathering. The wife has set the table with colorfully coordinated place settings. She appears to be pleased when she notices that her husband is about to wash the deck. The husband, full of pride, corrects her and announces that he is going to, "power wash," the deck. He then pulls goggles over his eyes and flips the switch on the machine. A powerful force of water shot through the hose the husband was holding.
The force was so powerful, the husband is unable to control the hose. The beautifully set table is destroyed. The look on the wife's face indicates she will need the extra strength pain killer that is being advertised to manage the on-coming headache.
The tongue is a small member of the body, but it is powerful. James 3:5 says, "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" God will not empower a tongue that cannot be controlled. An out of control tongue destroys lives and souls. The tongue of a prophet must be controlled by a disciplined heart, a guarded heart. King Solomon warns us in Proverbs 4: 23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." I am learning to guard my heart and my tongue. Being "on guard" counts. Joy!
