During my teenage years, I grew up reading powerful stories from the Bible. They felt deep, meaningful and relatable. They connected me with the divine being as a source of purpose and discipline, helping me to be mindful of my actions and reactions.

The turning points in my educational and professional journey came from the meaning that I was trying to get from life, human beings, and the values I learned from the Bible. I believe that it led me to explore life and discover that society and the human brain are fascinating areas to explore. This also helped me connect with myself and others around me.

If we ask people what has caused them the most pain in their life, we will find out that it is often the words spoken to them or about them by someone whom they loved. Words can have more consequences than any physical pain they may have ever endured. That’s because words can touch emotions, and anything that can impact our emotions can have a lasting impact on our life.

Throughout my career, I have seen many cases were people are emotionally stuck and experiencing a lot of psychological pain because of words spoken to them by close family members, friends, or their spouse. In my personal life experiences, I have also experienced times when I was emotionally affected by the words other individuals have spoken. And unfortunately, I have sometimes caused pain through my words to others.

The concepts of Mouth, Eye, Ear, Heart and Mind are interesting topics that have caught my attention since my childhood Bible study stories and experiences. In this series of three articles, I want to share my thoughts with you about these parts of us which have come from my personal experiences, my carrier journey, scientific discoveries and spiritual thoughts. Here is the 1st article on MOUTH.

In the field of science, there are many studies on words and brain function. Our words are powerful. They carry our thoughts, our ideas, our feelings and our intentions. When we really focus on the intention and the power of our words, something different happens. Self-awareness and self-regulation connects us with our inner world and to that of others.

Psychologist James Lynch describes using words as “the sharing of thoughts, physical sensations, ideas, hopes and feelings."

Our words have a deep connection to our physiology and biology. When, for example, the leader makes another person feel important, that person’s heart rate changes. This is what Russian psychologist Y. N Sokolov referred to as the “cardiac orienting reflex”. It is when two or more people’s hearts resonate together by listening to each other.

According to Andrew Newberg, M. D. and Mark Robert Waldman, words can literally change our brain. In their Book, they write that words can change your brain: “ A single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.”

Positive words strengthen areas in the brain that promote healthy cognitive functioning and, according to Newberg and Waldman, stimulate the motivational centres of the brain. A single negative word can have an opposite effect, increasing the activity in our amygdala to release stress producing hormones. This makes it hard to think, affecting both our performance and other people’s reactions.

My EMDR therapy consultant Dorothy Ashman also said to me that “trauma results when emotions are too strong for our brain to process and release. Painful emotions can result from words that we use in our day-to-day life, without even realizing it.’’

The Tongue has incredible power when we use words the right way. However, words can hurt someone emotionally without anyone touching them. Words have impact when we speak. If we misuse our words, if we speak without being mindful of our words, they can also cause people’s entire life to go up in smoke.

The truth is that at some point in our life, we will use our words to cause fire, whether that is by discouraging others, manipulating a loved one, gossiping about a friend or talking harshly to a neighbour. We all will have earthly consequences for those words.

Our words are so powerful and they can either change the world around us for good, or set the world on fire. Bible also says different concept about Mouth.

Why would a tongue be likened to a fire?

James 3:3-10

“….If we bite the mouth of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Consider the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is burning by such a small fire? And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life For every kind of beast and bird of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But human being can not always tame their tongue. With it, we bless our lord and father, and with it, we can curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From out of the same mouth come both blessings and cursing. These things ought not to be so.”

Proverb 18:12; says death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverb 12:18; There is one who speaks like the piercings of a word, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.

Ephesians 4: 29; Don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Often it’s the smallest things in our lives that have significant control over us. This especially is true when it comes to our tongue. While it is a comparatively small part of our body, it has more power to control our future than almost any other body part. Our tongue.

James compares our tongue to a forest fire. Fire causes damage and our words can cause damage as well. We can say something in seconds that will ruin our life or the life of those around us. Our words truly matter, since they hold such weight in both our life and the life of those around us. We can use our words for good by having hard conversations with people. It’s not only about what we say, but how we say it.

Colossians 4:6;Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt that you may know how to answer everyone.

Remember that God himself spoke the universe into existence. That’s where we can see the power of words.

“…. The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

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