To Encourage You

James 3:5 “the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.”

There’s a three-word phrase that you’ve probably heard that describes what it is that many people are seeking in one way or another: “power, fame, and fortune.”  So often these things are looked at as things that are “out there,” for they’re things that are possessed by the “rich and famous,” and we don’t tend to place ourselves in that same league. 

So are you like that? Do you wish you had more power to do what you want whenever you want? Do you wish you could be recognized by others more than you are now?  If so, perhaps you don’t realize the great power that is currently in your possession.  That power resides in one of the smallest members of your body, i.e., your tongue. The Bible talks about it in James 3:3-5 with the following words: “If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.” 

A bit has the ability to control a powerful horse.  A rudder has the ability to guide a huge ship, even in the midst of powerful winds and waves.  James likens our tongue to these things in that although it is such a small part of our body, it can do very powerful things.  “What things?” you might ask.  Well, on the one hand, it has the power to do very destructive things.  We can sour or anger another person’s attitude with just a few angry words from our mouths.  We can lie with our tongues and misdirect people’s thoughts and actions as a result. We can say hurtful things to a child that influence them in negative ways for many years. We can seduce others with the words we speak and lead them into destructive sins.  It can all start with a few words, but words that have powerful effects. 

But we can also use our tongues in ways that have powerful benefits.  You’ve likely experienced situations where someone said just the right thing to you when you were in great need of encouragement.  Their words were like a breath of fresh air to you and helped give you the power to carry on.  In the same way, we can use our tongues to be that source of encouragement for others.  Simple yet powerful ways in which we can use our tongues are when we say things like “please,” “thank you,” “I’m sorry,” and “I love you.”  Beyond that, God has given us the awesome privilege to take His powerful Words and convey them to others.  The Bible tells us that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). That’s the life-giving message of the gospel, the “good news” that God has told us to preach to the whole world. 

So, are you using your tongue in such wonderfully powerful ways?  Do you recognize the ability God has given you to so powerfully influence others that He has placed in your life?  May the Lord give us a renewed awareness of the power that lies within our tongue.  But may He also make us very aware of another truth, i.e., that “no human being can tame the tongue” (James 3:8).  Therefore, we must seek the power of His Holy Spirit to guide our tongues in the right ways.  It is for this reason that one of our most urgent prayers should be “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Jesus told us very plainly that “out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). May His Holy Spirit be that which abundantly fills our hearts so that whatever we do (and say) is done to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).