Today’s Reading | James 3:1-12
Power of a Tongue
There are four important principles in today’s reading to illustrate the need to gain control of our tongues. Highlight or number them in your Bible. The first one is found in verses three and four. We see that although the tongue is small, it can do great damage. With a few small words we can cause someone great pain. The second principle is found in verse five. There we learn that the tongue can do irreparable damage. We can say things that hurt people in a way that permanently damages our relationship and ability to influence their lives positively. Third, we learn in verses seven and eight that if we are going to tame our tongues, we need the power of God. We cannot gain control of the tongue by using our own strength. Fourth, verses 9-12 tell us that the tongue has equal potential for good and evil. It can be used in great ways for God, or it can be a tool of Satan to do damage to the cause of Christ. So much damage in people’s lives and in the life of the church is done with the tongue. How is your tongue being used? Have you allowed the Spirit of God to control your tongue so that everything you say please God?
Today’s Questions
Say What?
Observation: What do I see?
So What?
Interpretation: What does it mean?
Now What?
Application: How does it apply to me?
Then What?
Implementation: What do I do?