The rudder of the ship

 

 

"It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison..."

 

James 3, verse 7

Every now and then I am reminded of the teachings in the book of James, Chapter 3. It addresses the issue of the tongue. That one very small, yet very powerful part of our body. The tongue can wound, the tongue can heal. James likens it to the rudder of a ship. A part of the ship which is so small, yet can turn a very large ship.

I believe I am one of the bigger abusers of my tongue. As I have aged, I have set a goal to be much more careful, to weigh my words before they leave my mouth. It does not always work. I think back as a young boy, hearing the wise council from my parents (like most of us did): "Think before you speak" or "Think about what you are saying and how it will be received before you open your mouth." Sage advice from the Greatest Generation.

Proverbs 12:18 (NIV) defines the power of the tongue very well:

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.  

Yes, we can heal with our tongue. When I first heard Ephesians 4:29, I was convicted. I needed to change my path - to better control my tongue. To use it for good and not for destruction. In that verse (NIV), Paul says,

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in building up others according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

During any season, it is easy to lose control of the tongue. However, I believe during the campaign season, it becomes even easier. It becomes very tempting to let our tongue "pierce like a sword". Trust me, I battle with that daily.

A very wise man I once worked with at the YMCA told me that every day he came to work he tried to make a difference. Sometimes the difference was big in someone's life, sometimes not as big, and most of the time, very small and minute differences. When I pressed him about the small differences, he said, "It can be as easy as a kind word, or an unkind word left unsaid."

The Holy Bible gives us so much knowledge and wisdom on so many things. However to me, the teachings on the tongue are of the most important. To truly love others as ourselves, the practice that part of the Greatest Commandment, I believe we need to first tame our tongue.