Jas 3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
Jas 3:4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
Have you ever stopped to consider the power of the tongue? The tongue is just one small member of our body, but the Bible describes the tremendous power that it wields. The Word of God draws us to some familiar illustrations to help us understand the control that the tongue exerts in our life.
The first illustration is that of a bit in the horses mouth. With just a little pressure on the rein to turn the bit and the huge horse will respond by turning its body. Our tongue has the power to cause people to obey us. I think of the words that Hitler used to turn his nation Germany against another race of people as he sought to destroy them. Our words can cause people to obey us for evil or for good.
The second illustration is that of the sailing ships. The ships are huge and majestic as they move through the water driven by the winds. The tiny helm controls the direction of the ship. Our tongues control our direction. We can fill our lives with idle words that mean nothing of eternal value or we can use our words to encourage and edify.
The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. Our tongue can literally destroy the lives of others. All we have to do is make false accusations, tear down and destroy others. Out west in California are huge areas that make the news every year because of wildfires. The wildfires burn millions of dollars worth of land and homes. Every wildfire starts with a single spark. One little spark and in a short time there are tremendous, wind-driven flames racing through mountains and dells. The tongue works exactly the same. One small spark, even a seemingly innocent comment can turn into a huge, destructive situation leaving nothing but sorrow and misery in its wake.
Lord help us to guard our tongue each day. We realize that we are still have our Adamic nature that we are tempted through to commit sin. Help us to always say those things that lend themselves to encouragement and edification. God help us to use our tongues to share the Gospel message and to bring honor and glory to you.
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