An Amazing Muscle

Bible Reading: James 3:2-10

Jason opened the car door and settled into the front seat. “Hi, Mom. School was fun today—even science class,” he said, fastening his seat belt. “What do you think is the most amazing muscle in your body?”

“My heart,” said Mom as they started home.

Jason grinned. “Nope, guess again!”

“Uh…I give up. What is the most amazing muscle in my body?”

“Your tongue,” replied Jason. “That’s what Mr. Hernandez thinks, anyway. For one thing, we don’t even have to think about the tongue or tell it what to do. It just does it.”

“Like tasting?” asked Mom. “That seems to be one of your favorite activities.”

Jason laughed. “It is! I learned that the tongue has more than three thousand taste buds, and I think I should exercise mine on some cookies when we get home. But that’s not all our tongues do. They help us move food around in our mouths, and they help us form the words we want to say when we talk.”

Mom nodded. “You’re right. I’m not sure I ever thought about that before. And did you know the tongue is also the part of the body that we probably sin with the most?”

“It is?” Jason looked surprised to hear that.

“It’s something like the steering wheel of this car,” Mom told him. “I need to control this steering wheel to make the car go in the right direction. If I lose control, the car won’t turn into the driveway like I want it to in just a minute. It could go off in any direction, and it would probably end up doing a lot of damage—like hitting a telephone pole.” She turned into the driveway. “We need to control our tongues too. We can use them wisely to praise God and encourage others. But if we lose control, we may say unkind words in anger or gossip about others.”

“So, our tongues can be used for either good or bad,” Jason mused.

“Right,” said Mom. “But because we trust in Jesus, we can choose good every time! He gives us the power to control our tongues so we can use our words in ways that show others who He is.”

“Wow,” said Jason. “That really is amazing!”

-Jacqueline Leaycraft

How About You?

How do you use your tongue? Do you use it to thank God for all He’s done for you and to worship Him? Do you use it to encourage others with kind words? Or do you sometimes speak without thinking and say harmful, unkind things? Today’s Bible reading points out that the tongue can do a great deal of damage. It’s important to keep it under control. Trust Jesus to help you use this amazing muscle He’s given you for good.

Today’s Key Verse:
Psalm 141:3 (NKJV) Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Today’s Key Thought:

Control your tongue—with God’s help