Rudder

Have you ever wondered, how a big ship weighing so many tons of weight turns around or a jumbo aero plane turns around? All this turning happens thru a small object called “Rudder”.

In a Ship its in back side to the engine, in aero planes, it’s found back side and on the sides of the wings. Likewise, if you see a horse or cow tied to bullock cart, it’s the bite it has in its mouth that makes it control the animal how it needs to obey its master.

Similarly, as humans we have a rudder in our body, it’s the “tongue”, bible talks about this

'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. ' James 3:4-5

God wants us to be holy and perfect, according to his standards, all of this starts from what we speak. All this comes from the “tongue”, which is the rudder of our body.

'We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 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. but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ' James 3:2,6,8

So how do we stumble in holiness on what we speak? how do we sin with tongue?

• Tongue by itself cannot do anything unless its directed. A tongue is connected by many nerves to the mouth, brain, stomach, and other parts of the body. When we eat a food, the nerve in the tongue tells what type of taste we eat and gives a feedback mechanism to the brain / stomach on how much it needs to chew with the help of mouth etc. without the tongue nothing will be possible to come into our body.

• The word says many things on tongue

  • It’s like a fire for our body - “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body”

  • Corrupts the whole body – “it corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

  • No one can tame it – “but no human being can tame the tongue”

  • Deadly Poison for our body – “It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

So, reading this I ask a question to God, why did you create this this body part that’s so deadly as a poison. I am sure you did this with a purpose. God showed me this verse

'Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. '

1 Peter 2:16

He wanted us to “'Live as free people” that’s why he created this deadly body part in us. So with this free will we have got from God, we live a double life and use the tongue for that as well, The word says

'Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. ' James 3:11-12

• “Fresh water” that’s referred here is the good things we do with the tongue for God.

  • We praise God

  • We worship God,

  • We teach about God to others

  • We bless in God’s name

  • We keep Quite at times based on God’s command.

• “Saltwater” that refers to the bad things we do with the tongue, which comes from our own self desires, this includes cursing, shout, anger, gossip, boast, exaggerate etc..

'But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ' Colossians 3:8

• We drink water every day - How do you feel if you drink a fresh water one day from the tap and Saltwater coming in the same tap, that’s how Jesus sees us when we do two things from the same tongue. We speak good one min, the next min we talk bad. This is the double standards that we live that God wants us to get rid of.

• This kind of double standard living corrupts the whole body. Once we have the bad things flowing out, it corrupts the mind and slowly gives room for sin in our life and takes away the holiness that God longs us to be.

How should we control the tongue?

Remember tongue is a rudder, it can function only by someone who can control. The word says

'but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ' James 3:8

• Tongue cannot be tamed, so what it implies is, if we need a muscular macho arm, we do lot of weightlifting / many workouts to make muscular arm and tone it etc.... but with tongue we can never do any of that.

• A nerves of the tongue is connected to the brain, and only the brain can control the tongue, like how a steering wheel is connected to the wheels to make it turn. Brain serves as an important organ to control our tongue.

• The brain is controlled by Godly wisdom, this wisdom we get when we read and be true to God’s word, when good things flow to our heart and brain, our actions that come from our tongue will be “freshwater” that pleases God.

'A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ' Luke 6:45

• The wisdom from man produces evil things - 'But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ' James 3:14-15

• The Wisdom from God produces good things, this is what God wants us to inherit

'But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ' James 3:17

So how can this wisdom make us holy and make us better to the paths that Christ has desired for us?

Humbleness - Submit to God, humble yourself to God to ask for his wisdom, he will give you the wisdom, as his word says

'Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ' James 3:13

'For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. ' Proverbs 2:6

• Once you humble to God, he will give you the desire not to gossip when you meet someone, God’s spirit will control the situation, say you gossip more with one person when you meet, God will change the situation to make you avoid meeting that person to get away from Gossip

• God’s spirit will avoid you from judging others even If they do wrong, he will make you feel the grace he has given to you to avoid that mistake from the other person’s life.

• God’s spirit will control you from getting angry when someone talks bad about you, his love will come and bring the love in us towards the situation and make us be quite and get away from the angry situation.

• This does not mean we become so emotionless and people can take advantage over us, look at life of Jesus, he was not angered by things said by others, he was not angered by the one who crucified and nailed him on the cross ,in fact he forgave him from the Cross. But he was angered when his house was used as Den shop. God will give you the anger in you to make our lives live Zealous for God, to bring the God’s zeal in us.

'To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” ' John 2:16-17

Remember if you don’t want your body to be corrupt, control your tongue. To do that you have to be rooted with his word, depended on him, talk to him daily every situation no matter what your emotions are. Every one-day miss can make us go from “Fresh water” to “Salt Water” quick, as the devil is a roaring lion looking ways to make us fall to his trap. Only his spirit can save us from

'For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. ' 1 Peter 3:10

The fruits of keeping the tongue away from evil will lead us to the righteous path and always remember that God’s eyes will be on everything comes out from our mouth.

'For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” ' 1 Peter 3:12

'What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” ' Matthew 15:11

Always remember how important your tongue is and how it can destroy us. Make it a point to have good things flow from it to save you from God’s wrath

'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 3:6