Control Your Tongue
“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal; or take ships as an example, although they are large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell.”
These are the words of the Apostle James in James 3:1-6. He added that, “with the tongue we praise our Lord and father and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
The Apostle likens a man’s life to a great ship and a great forest. First, he says, however, great a ship is, it is controlled by just a small rudder which controls it and determines where it goes. Again, just as great forest is easily destroyed by a small spark of fire, even so can the tongue destroy a man’s life. That’s how powerful the tongue is.
We cannot use the same tongue we use to bless God to curse others who are made in the similitude of God. We cannot use the same tongue we use to praise God to gossip about others. We must learn to control our tonge. We use the first 3 years of our lives to learn how to talk and we must use the rest of our years to learn how to control our tongue. The Apostle James tells that if we can control our tongue, then we have learned how to control our lives.
PRAYER: “Help me Father today to create more laughter than tears, dispense more happiness than gloom, spread more cheer than despair. Never let me become so careless of my words. I am created in Your image and likeness so whatever I say becomes whatever is said. Help me speak Your word only and always in Jesus name.”
BIBLE READING: LUKE 4:1-12, EPHESIANS 5:22-33, PSALMS 119:81-88, 1 KINGS 17-18
https://youtube.com/watch?v=0KgeHLImzl0&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE