Being a Bible teacher is difficult! Bible teachers are held to a higher standard by God than those who are not Bible teachers. This is because we have a great responsibility to use our tongues wisely. It's a difficult thing to do! The tongue is a very small muscle, but it is a very powerful one. As a small bit in a horse, or a small rudder on a large ship can control the direction of the horse or ship, the tongue has power to move a person's life in one direction or another. Used wrongly, our tongues can corrupt the whole body. As important as it is to tame our tongues, no one can do it all alone.

The tongue is a restless evil. It is also like a fire that can set the whole course of one's life on fire. It is also true that our tongues can be used for beautiful things. With our tongues we praise God and we sing hymns of praise to him. But with it, we also curse others. This cannot be! Just as both fresh water and salt water cannot flow from the same stream, we cannot praise God and curse our brother with the same tongue. Our tongues should be used to praise God and to build up our brothers and sisters.


Application: Father, it is so hard to control my tongue! Have mercy on me and help me to use it only for the praise of you and the building up of others.
One Word: Tame your tongue!