"If we put bits into the mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Look at the ships also; though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire."– St. James 3:3-6a
St. James, in his brief epistle, reminds us of the power of the tongue by giving us a couple of familiar pictures from everyday life.
We know that when a bridle is placed on a horse, we can control the whole horse simply by the small bit in its mouth. So St. James makes the point that if we can control the tongue, we can control the whole body, but if the tongue is uncontrolled, then our whole life is set on the wrong path.
He then makes the same point using a ship’s rudder as the example. The rudder is extremely small in comparison to the size of a ship, and yet when we put a little pressure on that rudder, the course of the whole ship can be altered. So also the tongue, small as it is, can direct the whole course of an individual’s life.
St. James isn’t saying that silence is always better than speaking. What he is teaching us, however, is that we must control our tongues. When we speak, we must be sure that we’re speaking prudently.
To illustrate this, St. James uses yet another picture. He points out the damage that can be caused by a small flame, or even a spark, which can turn into a raging forest fire. This is an especially apt illustration for what he is saying. The damage to a huge forest, beginning with a small spark, can be all-consuming.
A chance word dropped in one place can cause tremendous damage someplace else. We have no control over what happens once we set the spark of some misplaced word. Almost before we know it, it can rage out of control. Is there anything harder to kill than a rumour? Is there anything more difficult to stamp out than an idle story? So, before we speak, we need to remember than once a word is spoken it is gone from our control.