Proverbs 21:23 "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles."

Wow, to me that verse is really saying a lot. I see it over and over in scripture. When we don't control what comes out of our mouths, not only do we hurt people (and most of the time it never fixes the situation anyway), we hurt ourselves (according to this verse, we can cause our own soul..mind, will and emotions..trouble by what we say), and we hurt God, according to Ephesians 4:29-30.
For years, I said things without any thought about what I was saying. I figured if someone didn't treat me right, they had it coming. But God has really begun to deal with me in this area. 1 Peter 3:10 says, "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile." What comes out of our mouths actually has a big part in enjoying our lives. We have told the boys at the ranch time and again how we need to believe ALL of what the Bible says. We can't pick out certain scriptures because they are more pleasing. The Lord is really clear about about this issue of the tongue. I truly wish that I had known this 25 years ago. I remember being in a conversation with someone..the person had really hurt someone that I loved, and I was furious. I unleashed on that person, and it ended up changing the entire course of my life, and my husband's life. I could never change what I had already said...I tried to apologize, but to the person I had spewed venom all over, it was too late.
I have seen people who feel like they need to exercise their "rights" literally destroying those around them. I knew someone once who complained so much that I really wanted to run and hide every time I saw her coming. I know of a marriage that was destroyed, not by the husband or the wife, but by someone else in the family who felt like it was their "duty" to speak out what was really none of her business. I could go on and on. Proverbs 17:28 says "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise;"
I am not saying that there aren't ever times where we need to confront or correct..but even during those times, the Bible is clear that we need to search ourselves first, before a word ever comes out of our mouth to someone. We need to make sure that we are going with a right attitude and not just to pounce on someone.
The bottom line always seems to come back to trusting God. When we are dealing with difficult people, or a difficult situation, He knows about it. We don't need to take things into our own hands. What we can do is remind ourselves in every situation, what the Lord spoke in Deuteronomy 20 as the people of Judah were about to fight a great battle. The Lord simply said, "The battle is not yours, but God's." He went on to say, "You shall not need to fight in this battle. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you."
I have to remind myself daily that the Lord is with me. No matter what battle I may be in, He is there. Proverbs 20:22 says "Say thou not, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee"
Beloved, wait. Wait before you speak. Wait before you go forward into battle. Pray and ask for God's wisdom as to how to proceed. He will certainly give it and the outcome will be so much better than if you had done it in your own strength. You can believe every word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God. He knows you. He knows what you are facing..and He wants to help you through to the other side of every situation. Going through with Him, is so much better than going alone. Angry words can change the course of your life, and not for the better. Trust me on that one because I live every day knowing that the course of my life was greatly changed by the ugly words that I spoke to someone many years ago.
Your God loves you..and He is YOUR GOD! Trust Him in every situation. Today, if you are facing something that is more difficult than you could have ever imagined, STOP! Pray. Wait quietly as your God begins to speak to your heart about how to proceed. He will certainly go before you in to every situation. May He grant every one of you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.