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 person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
James 3:3-6

Yesterday we looked at taming the tongue. Read more of what James writes (above). It can take hours and hours of behavior modification to train an animal, yet a small bit in the mouth of a large horse can turn him. A ship is big and the rudder is small…yet this small part determines the direction of the entire ship. What about a small spark? It may seem harmless, but it could set a thousand-acre forest on fire and bring destruction. What about you? Your entire body could be clean…but if your tongue is evil, it will destroy everything. It can corrupt the whole person and bring destruction. A person may look like they have it all together, but then they say something “off the wall” and reveal what is really in the heart and mind. The tongue can send you down many different directions. Tame the tongue and stay quiet. As it says in First Peter 3, a quiet, gentle, compassionate, and humble spirit is of great value to God!