Sometimes the power of the Christmas story is found in the strangest of places. Tucked away in the small letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia is a profound truth of the joy of what Jesus came to do.

At the announcement of the birth of Jesus, the angel described this event as one that would bring joy to all the people. When Jesus came, so did joy. Why would his birth bring joy to all the people? How is it possible to have joy that endures, even when the circumstances of life don't lend themselves to joy?

What goes around often comes around. The powerless often find themselves in a position of power and the people who hurt us may someday need us. In the moments when we’ve got those people right where we want ‘em, what we say will say as much about us as anything else. If our words are stones, will we choose to throw them, or use them to pave the way forward?

Our big mouths can be destructive, but they also have the power to build others up. What we say can impact the quality, and even the direction, of the lives of the people around us. How can we use this power for good? 

Like a small spark that has the potential to scorch an entire green forest, our tongues are untamable, with the power to control our whole bodies. We have a tool that can be used to build up those around us or tear them down in just a few words. What do we do with that kind of power? We can’t lock it away. But we can, by God’s grace, learn to control it.