The tongue is a slippery tool of the heart.  The humble heart uses the tongue for blessing.  The proud heart uses the tongue for cursing.  It’s the same tongue, yet controlled by the heart.  James does a brilliant job of addressing the tongue in James 3:1-12.

As I was reading through Scripture a couple months ago, my eyes jumped out looking at Job 42.  In the last chapter of Job, after Job recognizes his own foolishness and inability to understand God’s inscrutable purposes, and God gives instructions to those involved.

 ⁷ And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.  ⁸ “Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”  ⁹ So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD commanded them; for the LORD had accepted Job. ¹⁰ And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.  (Job 42:7-10)

Did you notice Job 42:10?  It jumps out!  The “Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends…”  His friends that criticized him.  His friends that misunderstood him and repeatedly put him down.   His friends that refused to listen and seek to understand Job.  Most people would walk away from people like that.  Most people would say, “Lord, can you send down a cruise missile on their homes?!”  When Job prayed for them, the Lord blessed him and gave Job twice as much.  Are you harboring a grievance toward those who have put you down, criticized you, or have done you wrong?  Forgive (Mark 11:25) and pray for them in a godly way.  You may miss out on God’s blessing if you don’t.