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How many times have we praised God in prayer and in the very next moment, snapped at our kids!
St. James warned us about this very problem: “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing” (James 3:10). It’s hard to disagree with his next comment: “My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so”!
The writers of both the Old and New Testaments have stressed the great power, both for good and for harm, of the spoken word. St. Paul emphasized the importance of virtuous speech in the life of the Christian community when he encouraged members to pay close attention to how they spoke to one another: “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up” (Ephesians 4:29).
Especially with our loved ones, it’s all too easy to become careless in the way we speak to one another. Criticism, gossip, biting humor, and complaining can really injure…
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