The book of James is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It just seems so practical and easy to understand, yet it holds such incredible insight. James 3:3–6 is a powerful passage. It reads:

“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

This is one of the most striking metaphors I’ve read in the Bible. The thought that such a small piece of metal can steer an entire ship—compared to how damaging our words can be—is so powerful. Just as a single spark can ignite a forest fire, disrespectful, hurtful, or vulgar words can damage relationships, hurt others, or create bad habits.

The mission for today is to be mindful of what comes out of your mouth. Whether we realize it or not, our words steer our ship. Make sure your ship is heading in the right direction.

Image by Ian Taylor via Unsplash.com