James 3:4-5a
Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
I was fortunate enough to be out on the water earlier in the week. The boat was great. It was bigger than a canoe but smaller than a yacht. The weather was not so great though.When we put out between storms the bay was super choppy. Yet even with the choppiness of the water, the ride was still smooth because of the weight of the boat. You would think that something that big would need something rather large to dictate its direction but in reality all that is needed is a small rudder. Our small rudder happened to be attached to a large engine. Yet it was still this relatively small part that dictated the direction the much larger boat would go.
Unless you're Gene Simmions from Kiss your tounge is a relativly small part of your body, yet it dictates the direction your life will go. That's why Proverbs 13:3 says
The one who guards his mouth preserves his life;
The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
If our tonuge dictates our direction, then we should be certian which direction we are headed in before we ever open our mouths.