Despite what many of you might have guessed by this post’s title, it is not some sensual endeavor I have tried with Margie. Some people think it is about the tongue being the most powerful muscle in the body. It is not. That is actually the jaw muscle. What this quote from the Bible tells us, is that we have a power that we can literally save or end lives with. It is a power that can propel us forward or hold us back. This power can start revolutions and war, or it can make someone fall in love with us. The surprising thing about this power is that we all have it. The crazy thing is that most of us use it without much thought. Some even use it with no thought at all. Can you imagine how dangerous it would be to use something so powerful with such indiscretion?

The power that we are talking about, and the power in this quote, is that of the words we choose. Think of the strangers we encounter throughout the day. We can only judge their mood by their outward appearance. As we have seen all to often, a smile can hide a world of pain. Perhaps that lady taking our order at the coffee shop is thinking of taking her own life. What difference do you think a genuine compliment can make? What if we scream at her for ten minutes because we got 5 ice cubes instead of 4? We could move her further away from the edge or push her over. We may never know. Speeches throughout history have inspired wars and people to rise up in revolution. A poem or a well thought out card can swoon the person of our dreams. Even a heart-warming text can transform someone’s day.

Each one of us have tremendous power in the words we speak. Even our inner-dialogue can go a long way to defining our self-image. We must take control of this great power we have and use it for good. How do you use the power of your words for good?