Words, Rudders, and The Trouble of the Tongue

What would happen if you were given only a certain number of words to say in one day?

We’ve all been there.

Words escaped our mouth. A case of speaking before thinking. Regretfully.

Some politicians say things they don’t regret, even when their words set off a firestorm bringing harm to innocent children and adults.

The Bible has a lot to say about one of the smallest parts of our body. You know the one.

This is a guest post from our friend Adena Lowry.

 

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Adena is a Junior High teacher with big dreams and caring heart to match. Adena has helped raise funds for orphans in our Village of Hope in Zimbabwe and other African nations.

She submitted this article when we were a part of a writers group at North Pointe.

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Remember the manna in the desert that the Israelites ate daily? They were given the exact amount they needed for the day, and any extra, would breed worms and become foul. (Ex 16:20) Like the manna, once your prescribed amount of words were spoken, you’d remain mute for the remainder of the day. You would not be able to save or hoard any words to carry over to the following day.

If this was true, do you think that you would be a little more inclined to watch the words you say and a little less careless with the words that simply spill out because of habit?

Do you think that you’d wait before moving your tongue, or would you find yourself out of your allotted amount and unable to speak by noon?

Words Matter

The Bible has much to say about this subject. Mostly in the book of Proverbs, a book of wisdom, is where you’ll find counsel like, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” or “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing,” and “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him”.

Yet, one of the best biblical analogies is in the book of James, “Consider ships as well. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot is inclined. In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things.”(James 3: 4, 5)

Steering

Sailing can be quite a daunting activity. The captain is very much in the hands of the elements, especially in a sailboat. The whipping wind can be very much like misbehaved child: screaming at you, pounding fists, unconsolable, guiding you in a direction you don’t want to go and leaving you desperate in the cereal aisle of the grocery store.

One summer, as a camp counselor, I learned to sail a 16-foot sailboat.

This boat has two sails, a mainsail and a smaller jib sail on the bow. One beautiful, sunny afternoon, I was out on a lake with four campers in my boat, all around the age of 9-years old. I believed we had set out for a routine sail around the bay, leisurely tacking and jibing along the water’s edge.

Unfortunately, without any warning, the wind picked up, and took my novice sailing skills by surprise. My tiny boat swayed to one side and no matter how hard all five of us hiked over the side of the boat, we easily heeled, and quickly capsized. I spontaneously ignored all four screaming children as they went flying into the lake, now bobbing up and down in their life jackets. Horrified, I watched as the sail boat slowly turtled completely. Without delay and teeming with adrenaline, I swam over, climbed up on the side edge of the boat, grabbed the centre board and leaned with all my weight.

Amazingly, the boat rotated, now with the main and jib sails floating on the top of the water like a dead fish. Rapidly, I climbed onto the centre board, grabbed onto the side of the boat, and leaned once more as if my whole life depended on it.

Righted

The boat pivoted again, now upright. There was premature jubilation in my eyes as the boat was now sailing around by itself in the water.

This what James is describing in Chapter 3 when he describes the tongue as a rudder. The tongue, when untamed, is simply like a sailboat without a qualified captain, ready to run itself into the rocks, or knock down anything in its way. This is what happened to my sailboat. It was now upright, free to sail around wherever the wind blew, without anyone to steers its course.

The same is true of the tongue. It can alter the direction of your life, ruin relationships, limit forgiveness, and increase bitterness. All this can happen all too often to the tune of regret.

What then can be done to shift words and change worlds for the better?

Shifts

Firstly, watch the wind on the water. Expert sailors know this all too well. Watching the wind move along the top of the water will show the direction that the wind is moving and indicate the wind speed. As the wind gathers, know when to get the boat out of the water. The same can be said about the tongue. Watch the way a conversation is developing. Sometimes leaving a situation, walking away, and taking a pause before continuing is as important as making your viewpoint known. Just as a beautiful piece of music is really a combination of sound and silence, so is ardent communication. Know when to speak and when to be silent.

Second, adjust your sails. Changing the direction of the wind is impossible, but adjusting the sails to be a little less rigid and have a little more leeway will allow the boat flexibility, enabling it to stay upright and stay the course. Repositioning your perspective, seeing things from another standpoint, can steady a relationship and allow it to proceed. Recalibrating your point of view can add balance to a relationship.

And finally, use the wind as your ally and steer into it. This technique can balance your boat in strong winds. That is to say, use the Holy Spirit to guide you. What do my words say about my trust in God, and how much I believe he loves me? Or do my words only solidify my fears, inadequacies, and apprehensions. Remember that words flow from your heart, the place where your true beliefs live. And if I truly believe God is with me, then out of my mouth my heart will speak. (Luke 6:45)

As for me and my campers, all survived. I eventually got myself back into the boat and picked them up with the help of a fellow counsellor. Those kids never sailed again that summer with me, but I learned a very valuable lesson:

Don’t let something else suddenly take over and start directing me in a way I don’t want to go.

Keep my eyes on God and he will direct my path.

How are you doing with your words? Please join the conversation and post a comment below.

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