Bits and Rudders

November 12

Ezekiel 30-31

Psalm 119:161-168

Proverbs 27:9-10

James 3:1-12

Bits and Rudders

“Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. And consider ships: Though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So too, though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things.” James 3:3-5 HCSB

Our tongues can get us in a lot of trouble. They can also be used for good, but they must be controlled. If we don’t have control of our tongue, we are destined to experience conflict, stress, pain, and regret. Letting our tongues run wild leads to sin. Gossiping, lying, slander, angry outbursts, cussing, inappropriate jokes, insincere flattery, inappropriate sexual speech, sarcasm, negativity, condescension, and boasting/bragging are all sins that are strongly admonished in the Bible. They flow out of the mouth, but they are the overflow of evil in the heart. The sins of the tongue usually lead to more sins. Lying leads to lying more to cover up the lie. Gossiping inevitably leads to the desire for even more juicy gossip that we can spread so that we can be the one in the know about what is going on. A little cussing desensitizes us to it so that we do it more and more frequently. Inappropriate jokes get a laugh, so we tell more. People like to hear good things about themselves, so we tell them what they want to hear. When we get the attention we are seeking from boasting and bragging about our success, we continue to do it to get more attention. Negativity breeds more negativity. Sarcasm and a tone of condescension usually reflect bitterness and an unforgiving spirit that becomes a pattern of negative speech.

Taming the tongue is a constant battle. It is not something that we can tame once and then is under control. We first need to recognize the devastation and destruction that a lack of self-control can cause. I suspect that we all have areas where we can do a better job of controlling our tongues and we need to ask God to reveal those areas to us. Then we need to be intentional. It is easy to run our mouths and say whatever comes into our heads. It is difficult to think before we speak. It is difficult to measure our words. It is difficult to stop and evaluate if what we want to say is edifying and encouraging or if it will make the situation worse. It is difficult to keep our mouths shut when we want to yell or scream or hurt someone as bad as they hurt us. Controlling our tongue can prevent a lot of the trouble and regret that we cause ourselves. I love the analogy of the bit in the mouth of a horse or the rudder that controls the ship. Allowing God to be the One who controls the bit in our mouth and letting Him be the pilot who steers our ship requires purposeful submission, but results in a life that is more peaceful and much less chaotic. Picturing the bit in our mouth before we speak can help us to stop, think and pray before we speak.