Proverbs 10:18-21 “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.”
We cannot hide from God what is in our hearts behind what we say with our lips. He knows if we hate or love, and He knows what we say. Slander is a terrible thing. Think about how you would feel if someone spoke of you as you have perhaps spoken to someone else about others. Was it third person praise or was it slander? Were they building up words or tearing down words? There is wisdom in refraining from speaking everything we think or everything we think we know or everything we think everyone else needs to know. Is our tongue just – is our heart of great worth? Are our lips planting seeds of wisdom? Are our words giving life to others or killing them?
Proverbs 18:21 “Life and death are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”