Loose lips sink ships

 

Even though it has been 20+ years, I still remember a time at my Mom's house like it was yesterday.   It was 5:30am and I was reading in James, chapter 3.  

I jumped out of my seat and went running down the hallways to my mother's room.  Mom was clearly asleep and my one-sided, enthusiastic conversation went something like this:

"MOM?!!  Are you up?!!.....I was just reading in James 3.  Loose lips sink ships!  LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS!!"

What are we speaking to one another, and in the hearing of others?  We either speak life or death - that's the power of the tongue.   

We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise, 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 3:2-5 NIV

I had certainly heard this phrase before, but now I saw it in the Word.  Loose lips sink ships.  I found out that this phrase was coined as a slogan during WWII as part of the US Office of War Information's attempt to limit the possibility of people inadvertently giving useful information to enemy spies.

Do you realize that there is an enemy in this world who is looking for the opportunity to get us to agree with his side?  One tactic is through our tongue, as the tongue gets us into trouble because we forget to monitor what it is we are saying.

Loose lips can cost us to lose part of life and the life of our hearers.  Do you want to be a life-giver or a life-taker, by your words?