October 6

The Tongue That Directs Life

 
As a young United States Naval Officer, I served for a brief while on board one of the largest ships ever built – the USS Kitty Hawk. It is a nuclear-powered super-carrier. It was so large that its crew numbered in the thousands, making it very much like a floating city. But as large as the ship was, like all other ships large and small, its direction was controlled by a relatively small device called a rudder. James compares our tongues to a ship's rudder in James 3:2-5a:

"For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now, if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things."

The tongue can place the ship of life, and each of its crew members, in the greatest peril if it is not used properly. It can drive the ship of life onto the rocks. It can cause life to veer dangerously off course. But it can also speak wondrous and life-giving things that breathe life into death. We have been assigned the most important task of being the captain of our great, eternal vessel. And while our Lord Master is the Commodore of the vast fleet, He has handed over to us great responsibility. And with Him and His eternal Word ever by our side, we have a sure Navigator and a chart that will lead us safely to our port at the gates of Zion as we bring countless others alongside to eternal safety with us when we finally reach our everlasting port.