Power of the Tongue

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue."

It's Sunday, and I just came home from church. Hey, don't you dare go all "Oh no, he's gonna be all preachy on us now!" This just came to me while I was sitting there listening to the sermon. It's one of those epiphanies one has in the most unusual of places. Well, I guess that wasn't that unusual in my case.

Well anyways, it came to me on the very first passage that was read, which you already read as well. Taken from the book of Proverbs, one would understand that this can be applied to all aspects of life. Be it in relationships, acquaintances, or even strangers. Words affect our lives, and people in it.

Words can break people, start wars, end relationships, build envy and wrath, and just basically bring out the bad in people. From the moment we were born till the day we die, some words will be too hard for us to bear silently.
From our childhood, we were made to listen to what our elders say, how they threaten us to be taken away by someone if we did bad things, how we might end up being taken away if we didn't eat our veggies or took our afternoon naps.
In school, we got insulted, people take behind our backs, spread rumors, and tell lies to us and those we know. Some words even cut so deep that it makes one snap, making them take the desperate way out, hurting themselves physically more than they already are, even ending their lives. And even worse, other people's lives.
At work, it goes on and on, bosses and co-workers alike will criticize your work, maybe even put you down just to get what they want. Your spouse, or even your kids, can also say the meanest things, out of disappointment, or discontent. Self-esteem and morale can go down with a single word we say. That's why they say that the tongue is like a double-edged sword. You may not see it now, but it'll hurt you too if you're not careful enough.

But words can also be used to soothe the soul, calm the spirit, and alleviate the pains of our hearts. It can motivate a person to move, it can make the simplest of things matter the most for someone. A little girl's cry can be hushed by words spoken warmly and gently. It can build up a lover's excitement over what is to come from a night of unbridled passion for each other. It can calm the shaky voice of a performer, awaiting his chance on the stage. It can unify two souls, oceans apart, as if God had intended for them to be with each other, despite their differences and complexities. Words that can rile up the passion of young souls to do the right thing, for men in power to rise above the system of corruption, for poor men to strive hard and not be a burden to society.

Ladies and gentlemen, words are but an expression of who we are and who we intend to be. They may not be tangible, but they strike hard on those we throw them at, and they caress soothingly to those we warmly utter them to.

Friends and readers, watch the words you use, be it written or spoken. Think before you say or type something you might regret later on. Be careful what the power of the tongue can do to you, and others.