It bothers God when your tongue praises Him on Sunday and tears somebody apart on Monday. James says, '... these things ought not so to be' (James 3:10). Slander stems from pride, from an attitude that says, in effect, 'I’m right and everybody else is wrong.' Remember, 'All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord' (Proverbs 16:2). Too many people have to flock to church altars for healing from the wounds inflicted on them by Christians. Gossip broke their spirits. A leading Bible teacher writes: 'I went through a period of trying to overcome my tendency to gossip. But I’d still tell it to my wife. Although I knew she wouldn’t repeat it, I soon realized that, by exposing her to it, I was poisoning her spirit. That’s when I decided to change what was coming out of my mouth.' Wow! What you say about somebody in a careless moment can color how others see them for a lifetime. One pastor tells all his new members, 'If you hear another member slandering somebody, stop them right away and say, ‘Excuse me - who hurt you, ignored you or slighted you? We’ll pray together so that God can restore peace to this body, but we won’t let you talk about people who aren’t around to defend themselves.’' Ninety-nine times out of a hundred the issue dies right there - or the offender leaves! Paul writes, '... be... gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love' (Ephesians 4:2 NCV). Today, refuse to let the enemy use your words to hurt others!