TeaTime Devotional July 15, 2025

Written by: Tiwana Dennis

Scripture: James 3:4-6 NLT

And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire, it is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

Testify:

James is one of my favorite books in the bible mainly because he is telling people “You better check yourself”! I have had MANY moments where I needed to check myself because of something that has come out of my mouth. I can recall times when I lit someone on fire with my words and watched the fire burn! AND meant every word I said. Now I won’t even pretend to be all the way delivered, but my God I am better than what I used to be. Through my relationship with Christ, I have learned that words can cause irreparable damage and create fires that can rage on far past the moment in which they were said.

Edify:

This scripture depicts just how much power we have in our tongue and how we need to control it. James describes how a rudder, a small part of a ship, can control which direction the ship is heading. Our tongues and what we allow to come out of our mouths will determine the trajectory of our lives.  We can spark fire with words that can burn down everything around us. James tells us that although the tongue is a very small part of our body it can spark a flame that corrupts your entire life, and we need to control it.  I am a firm believer that the words we speak are a direct reflection of what lives on the inside. If a person is always spewing venom and hate, that is what consumes them internally. When we speak, we must be mindful that our words can cause damage, whether intended or not. Simply put, James is saying, watch your mouth.

Apply: 

Check yourself before you speak. Assess if your words will cause a fire before you say what you want to say.