A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

Try saying that three times in a row! What a marvelous, God-designed gift is our tongue! We use it for talking (even saying tongue-twisters) and for tasting and eating. It can do so much good when we use our words to encourage, to lift up, and to build up. We can use our speech to share the Gospel and lead people from the kingdom of darkness into the realm of grace. We can say, “Thank you,” “I love you,” and “How can I be of encouragement to you today?”

But the same tongue can also cause a lot of pain and trouble. As Christians, we must break our tendency to gossip, curse, lie, flatter, criticize, and brag.

Spend time each day in the Word of God, guarding your heart so that only righteous words come out of your mouth. “From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom.” The tongue reveals what the heart is storing. 

A timely word—spoken at just the right time to meet a particular need—how good it is!
William MacDonald