Have you ever heard of one snake eating another snake? According to zookeepers, two of these reptiles will sometimes grab different ends of the same piece of food. Sooner or later their struggle for that last bite brings them nose to nose. But then comes the surprise. The snake with the widest bite will keep right on going and actually swallow the other!

Christians have been known to "consume one another" too. We may say something unkind to a fellow Christian, who then becomes defensive, and an argument develops. We know we would be better off if we held our tongue and trusted the Lord for the outcome, but we just keep going.

It's easy to assume that we're too mature to let things go too far. But the apostle Paul reminded us in Galatians 5:15 that words and emotions can get out of hand—even among Christians. When this happens, feelings get hurt, friendships are destroyed, the church becomes divided, and the body of Christ suffers.

It is crucial that we ask the Lord daily to help us to "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another" (Eph. 4:32). Only as we rely on Him will the love of Christ in our hearts replace the man-eating impulses of a sharp tongue and a bitter spirit.  — Mart De Haan