A Powerful Muscle

Have you ever stopped to think about which muscle in your body is the most powerful? Abs, biceps, calves, and the heart all pop into my mind.

But what about the tiny, little tongue?

You wouldn't catch my tongue bench-pressing 200lbs, but the power it still possesses boggles the mind. My tongue has the power to get me booted off of an airplane, ruin someones life, or even send me to prison. It's incredible how many lives can be messed up from such a small muscle.

The Bible mentions this theme in James 3:2-12. James compares the tongue to a rudder on a ship, the bit in a horse's mouth, and a spark causing a forest fire. We've probably all got firsthand stories of times when our tongue got us into trouble. We can attest to the fact that the tongue cannot be tamed, as James also mentions. Maybe our tongues should come with warning labels attached!

As depressing as this all sounds, there is good news! Even though we cannot tame our tongues, God, in his infinite power and wisdom, can help us. When we seek his help and guidance, our tongues become an agent for incredible good rather than evil.

I mentioned the negative power of the tongue earlier, but it also possesses great potential for good. Your tongue also has the power to speak words of encouragement, hope, and even direct someone towards the path to heaven. Yes, your tongue can literally assist in helping someone to move from a path headed toward hell to one headed for heaven.

When we surrender control of our tongue to God, he can use it to perform great things in the world. It doesn't take any special license or certificate to use your tongue in this manner. The only thing required is allowing God to have his way.

Proverbs 18:21 speaks great truth: The tongue can bring death or life...

Which will your tongue bring?