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. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our [c]life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

James 3: 2-12

Our greatest success in life comes from taming our tongues. We can easily belittle the importance of words and speak indiscriminately because we think our words will disappear. But there are consequences to the words we speak, and they define the person we are. Words reveal our true nature. Jude the Apostle said God judges words heavier than actions. With our tongues, we can save the world, and we can set it on fire. We should all memorize James chapter three and remember these thirteen points about the tongue.

One. The tongue bridles the whole body. It keeps the body in check. The body moves according to the tongue, and it spearheads our lives. Our words stand at the forefront of all our actions.

Two. The tongue is like the bit put into a horse’s mouth. It directs our entire body. The rider uses pressure to control the speed and direction of movement. Using the bit, the horse moves in the direction the rider wants. Like a bit, our tongue directs our bodies.

Three. The tongue is like a small rudder used to steer a ship. The boat may hit strong waves and storms, but the rudder guides the boat to the desired direction. It doesn’t matter how big or small we are, we move in the direction that tiny tongue dictates. The tongue is the rudder of a ship. It can lead us to destruction, or it can lead us to prosperity.

Four. The tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. It is a tiny part, but it controls the entire body. We have bigger body parts than the tongue, but nothing is more powerful. With this in mind, we must learn to tame the tongue.

Five. A great forest is set aflame by a small fire. A small fire can burn down an entire forest. The tongue, which is a small part of our bodies, can burn down our entire lives. It can burn down nations and races. That’s how dangerous and powerful this tongue is.

Six. The tongue is a fire. It burns whatever it comes in contact with and turns it to ashes.

Seven. The tongue is a world of fire, a world of evil. This tiny tongue can create a world of fire and evil.

Eight. The tongue corrupts the whole body and can set fire to the course of our lives. An uncontrolled tongue sets the course of our lives on fire and burns down everything along the way.

Nine. The tongue is set on fire by hell.

Ten. The tongue is a restless evil.

Eleven. The tongue is full of deadly poison.

Twelve. The human race tames every species, but we can’t tame our own tongues. So our greatest success and challenge in life arises from taming our tongues. Success comes from being able to control our tongues; we must able to subdue it when necessary and point it in the right direction.

Thirteen. With the tongue, we bless the Lord and with that same tongue, we curse others who have been made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth, we both bless and curse. But a fountain cannot send out both fresh and bitter water. A fig tree cannot produce olives, and vines cannot produce figs. If we examine our lives, we are guilty of this very thing. We bless God, pray, and say godly things. But with that same tongue, we curse others, complain, and defy God. Then, which is the real self? Are we good or evil when we bless and curse from the same mouth? We are evil! If we curse with our tongues, it cancels out all the good things we’ve said, and it shows those godly words were not genuine. Remember that we cannot be godly while spewing two different things from our mouths! In other words, our tongues reveal our true nature.

God tests us and gives us situations to reveal whether we are hypocrites or faithful. Don’t complain when adversity hits; take it as an opportunity to evaluate where you stand and move towards salvation. To do this, we must place at the top of the list taming our tongues and repenting in detail any sins we’ve committed with our tongues. This tiny part controls our entire bodies and can lead us into utter destruction or prosperity. The tongue is a dangerous fire that must be tamed.

Summary
1. Like bits which control horses, our tiny tongues guide us.
2. The tongue is a destructive fire that can destroy the course of our lives.
3. Cursing and blessing from the same mouth reveal our true nature.
4. Repent and tame the tongue.

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