“Death and life are in the power of the tongue:”

“Words are like nitroglycerine – they can blow up bridges or heal hearts.” --John Mason 

It has often been said that your tongue can get you into more trouble in 30 seconds than you can get out of in 30 years. The best time to hold your tongue is when you feel you must say something or bust. You’ll never be hurt by anything you didn’t say. Silence is the ultimate weapon of power; it’s also one of the hardest arguments to dispute. 

Think about this…your ears were not made to shut, but your mouth was. When an argument flares up, a wise person quenches it with silence. Sometimes you have to be quiet to be heard. It’s when the fish opens its mouth that it gets caught! Opening our mouths dulls our two most important senses – our eyes and our ears. 

A wise old owl sat on an oak,

The more he saw the less he spoke;

The less he spoke the more he heard;

Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?   

        --Edwards H. Richards “Death and life are in the power of the tongue:” -Proverbs 18:21