James 3 James is what we call “on a roll!” He continues to instruct the church and its parishioners on what to do and what not to do. Todays’ lesson is on the tongue which is a mighty force that we have to bless as well as curse. James uses the illustration of horses and how we control them and ships with their rudders. He is saying, stop and consider if you are more like the horse who needs a bridle or a ship which needs a rudder to navigate life. 

Horses can be tamed, ships can be controlled (however, recently we saw the Dali lose their navigational power and ultimately take down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore showing us that ships and their navigational tools are not always reliable! ) James is saying you have the tools to navigate life but your tongue, like the Dali ship’s control center, sometimes is not always reliable apart from the controlling influence of the Holy Spirit. He is given to us to tame this unruly part of our human body. 

John wrote: “When the Holy Spirit comes, He. will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;” [Jn 16:8] Allow Him to tame this unruly gift that God has given to you so you can be a blessing and not a curse.