Daily Devotionals

Pressure Point Week 6: Tuesday

And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. James 3:6

Who is someone who had a profound impact on your life? What made their impact so profound? I have a feeling that it was their words that had such an impact on you. The truth is that words are powerful. They can cause destruction, and they can bring peace. Because of this, we have a great responsibility to use our words wisely. 

James, the half-brother of Jesus, was highly concerned about the power and destruction of the tongue. This concern must have led him to write about the tongue and the power of our words throughout the book of James. In James 3, he compared the tongue to a small rudder that steers an entire ship and a tiny spark that sets an entire forest on fire. Then, he wrote, "And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself" (verse 6). It may seem like a small body part, but the tongue is mighty! The writer of Proverbs 18 said it this way, "The tongue can bring death or life" (verse 21). There is nothing more powerful on earth that can bring life or death.

Many people think that their words are not significant. They repeat the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." This is not true. Our words can be destructive, and they are extremely powerful. We must recognize this power that our words can have and speak carefully. Your words are powerful. Will you treat them as powerful as they are today?

Moving toward action

As you go throughout your day, consider your words carefully. Think about the impact they may have. Use your words to cause a profound impact in your home, at work, or among your group of friends. Our words are powerful, friends. May we use our words to profoundly impact the world around us.

Going Deeper

James 3:1-12

"Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.

But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. 6 And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty spring."