One Joe Holleman recalled an unfortunate incidence as his wife lay in bed, terminally ill. His wife was a plus sized woman; and in the closing days of her battle with cancer, her body was not able to process anything and was retaining fluid. Just then, one of her aunties came to visit and said, “I can’t believe you haven’t really lost any weight during all of this, most people get skinny.” Joe Holleman said he needed all the restraint in this world to not throw her out of the hospital. Body shaming is hardly the right thing to do to someone dying of cancer. What the woman said would fit perfectly into what our lead scriptures says – she spoke the like the piercings of a sword!

Consciously, we should consecrate our tongue to God that it might be a source of healing whenever we speak.

The Bible says that the power of death and life lies in the tongue. Whenever we speak, we are either appropriating death and life to ourselves or projecting them to others. The world around us is hurting already too badly. It will be uncharitable to add to the burdens people experience through unguarded words and deeds. In James’ word, we are a spring; and we cannot afford to produce both sweet and bitter water at the same time. Consciously, we should consecrate our tongue to God that it might be a source of healing whenever we speak.