August 12, 2025

James 3:3-6  (HCSB)
3 Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. 4 And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.

Mark Jenkins
We have all seen ships. I have been on a cruise and was amazed at the sheer size of the ship and that was years ago and they have only gotten bigger. Military ships are some amazing vessels too...if you ever get a chance to see one up close, do it. Many of us have seen the movie Titanic. It was a marvel of ship innovation at the time...but what do all these (cruise ships, military ships and the Titanic) ships have in common? They are large vessels with small rudders, which guide the ship. How does this relate to the tongue. Well, compared to our mouth, overall body, etc., the tongue is very small (according to the internet, the average human tongue is 3.3 inches long in a man, very small compared to a 5-6 ft average height...like the rudder), but it has a lot of control. The tongue can be an effective tool for leading others to Christ and for teaching and guiding people...but in an instant, the tongue can break down all the positive work that has been done. The tongue can “set” something or someone on a path of seeing the positives of God at work in our lives and can just as easily burn down all the positives we have built over a long period of time.