Walking With Christ

James 3:4-5  (4)Look at the ships also:  though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.  (5)So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.(ESV)

Yesterday, I spoke about the power of the tongue.  I spoke about how life and death can be found there and how silence is a form of death.  This verse in James reinforces that notion by comparing the tongue to the rudder of a large ship.  Even the largest ships today are directed by the same rudders that have existed for thousands of years.  The technology might be more complicated and the materials might be improved over the wood used in the past, but the concept is remarkably unchanged.  The rudder moves and the ship is guided according to which way it goes.

Most lessons on James 3:4-5 focus on the active use of the tongue.  The rudder of a ship is only actively steering the ship when the captain, or someone else, has their hand on the wheel.  Releasing the wheel does not mean the ship will immediately veer wildly off course—but over time, without control, the current does take over.  If we do not guard our thoughts and attitudes, they will drift toward negativity, bitterness, or complacency.  A silent tongue does not mean a controlled spirit—it may just mean an unmonitored one.  Just because we do not speak does not mean we are guarding our hearts.

Ezekiel 3:18  If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.(ESV)

A rudder does not just keep a ship on course—it also prevents it from being pushed in the wrong direction.  A silent tongue can be dangerous when truth needs to be spoken.  When we fail to speak against injustice, sin, or lies, our silence steers us toward passive participation.  Silence is not always wisdom—sometimes it is disobedience.

A ship’s rudder is most effective when intentionally controlled.  Not all silence is bad.  There is wisdom in knowing when to hold back words (James 1:19).  The key is to be intentional—not just silent, but spiritually guided.

Proverbs 17:27-28  (27)Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.  (28)Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.(ESV)

Controlled silence is different from passive silence.

The final takeaway here is that the unspoken words still steer the soul.  Your words (or lack of them) shape your life.  Even silence steers the ship—either toward wisdom or apathy.  Guarding the tongue is not just about speaking wisely but thinking rightly.  Silence is powerful when used with discernment but dangerous when used as avoidance.

James 1:26  If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.(ESV)