A Little Thing with Great Value

Tuesday - February 9th

Devotionals from the Book of James

Scripture to Read Today: James 3:1-12

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The tongue is a small part of the body,

but it makes great boasts. Consider what a

great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

James 3:5

Just because something is little doesn’t mean it can’t have great value. The tongue cannot claim to be a big part of the human body, but one woman’s tongue has been insured for $1.25 million. That’s right. Her employer so values her tongue they took out over a million dollars of insurance on it.

Hayleigh Curtis works as one of ten taste testers for the Cadbury Chocolate company in Great Britain. Her accuracy in testing and helping correct recipes for the famous chocolatier has helped produce some of the world’s most beloved chocolates. Curtis’ tongue serves a valuable purpose for the company. Cadbury cannot afford to lose her input in their research and development of products

Your tongue may not be insured for $1.25 million, but it has tremendous value. It is so small, but your tongue can affect so much of your life and the lives of others by what you say. Few people realize the damage and the value their words can have in the lives of others. The tongue doesn’t take up much space in our bodies. It rarely (if ever) is put on display for others to see (unless you are a part of the rock band “KISS”). But James says that it makes a significant impact for its size. “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts” (James 3:5).

Throughout my years of pastoring, I have met with married couples struggling to keep their marriages together. More often than not, one spouse expresses how much they love everything about the other, but they mention what their spouse has said that has wounded them deeply. Marriages often end because of the hurtful, spiteful, even abusive words that one spouse uses to belittle and crush the other.

The tongue is such a small part of a person. It seems impossible that it can inflict such irreparable harm. James wants us to understand that what we say and how we say it can cause damage. The tongue is a little thing with great value and the capacity to encourage or wound others.

It might not be worth it for you to insure your tongue for a million dollars. But your tongue has great value in how you use it as you speak to those in your life every day! What would those around you say about how you use your words with them? Does your tongue encourage them more than it wounds them?

Look for ways today to say a kind, encouraging word to others. Add value to their lives by how you use your tongue to build them up.

The tongue is a little part of the body that can add tremendous value to others through the words it produces!