courageWednesday, September 16
A Very Small Rudder
Scripture
"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."
— James 3:3-6
What it means
There is no story here, just three pictures in a row. A small bit in a horse's mouth turns the whole animal. A very small rudder steers a big ship, even in strong winds, wherever the pilot wants it to go. A small spark sets a whole forest on fire. Then the same is said of the tongue: it is a small part of the body, and it is a fire. It corrupts the whole body and sets the whole course of a life on fire. The bit and the rudder are about steering, and the fire is about damage that grows from something small. So one sharp sentence can steer the speaker's own day. And as a small spark sets a forest on fire, that sentence also reaches the person who hears it.