"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 thing that makes grand speeches." James 3:4-5 NLT

Does your rudder need to be divinely retrofitted?

" By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony into chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell." James 3:6 MSG

If the rudder of a ship is broken it cannot remain on course!

If our tongues are broken from lying, gossip, slander, boasting, grumbling, anger or cussing we cannot remain on course with the leading of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will never lead where our broken tongues will take us and the Spirit will never follow.

If the rudder of a ship is broken it endangers every other ship in its channel!

If our tongues are broken we endanger everyone within the sound of our voice. From the precious little ears of our children to the person we work with who has heard our claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ. No one is safe from a broken tongue; it slices like a knife, grieves the Spirit and dirties everyone who comes in contact with sound of our voice and it dirties us most of all.

If the rudder of a ship is bent there is a constant tension and struggle just to control the ship!

If our tongues are bent it is because we are allowing lies and truth both to be part of our confession; we say we believe God's Word, we can even quote it yet when faced with a trial or crisis, what comes forth from our mouths is fear, doubt, confusion, anger, self-pity or anxiety. This should not be, the confession of our mouths must be transformed by the Word, not just knowledge of it,  but in obedience to it.

Bent and broken rudders are retrofitted, they are changed.

Bent and broken tongues can be transformed, they can be changed; confess and repent of the words of your mouth that have hurt others, grieved God and tarnished your witness for Christ. Renew your mind and heart with the Word of God.

Fill your heart, mind and soul with the Word of God and walk in obedience to it. This will transform your confession and make you a vessel fit for noble use. Isn't that what we all are striving for?