Hush!

Silence is often interpreted, but not misquoted. So many of us have said things on the spur of a moment that we regret. One thing I've discovered is that you can never undo the harm you create with a misspoken word. With social media today enhancing them greatly have come cowards who write vicious, nasty things about others they have a quarrel with. They also hide behind others in a rumor tree that damages the lives of innocent people. All it takes is one false story to create a mountain of negativity toward someone who is innocent.

Its better to keep your opinion to yourself rather than impugn the reputation of another. Sometimes silence is golden. I will admit that I have spoken out of turn before and when it was over wish I could recall the words. I learned over the years that not every sheep in my fold was an innocent lamb. There were some wolves disguised in the flock.

How many of you have been credited with saying something that you never spoke? Most pastors can readily identify with that terminology because they are often falsely accused of speaking words they never said.
Ministries have been destroyed, churches divided, and families torn apart by misquoted words. The Bible tells us that "the tongue is full of deadly poison." How true that is!

The cobra is a beautiful and graceful snake. Natives charm them with music and make them seem to be in a trance. All it takes is one bite from this beautiful creature and death is almost certain. All it takes is one misquoted word and the life that you live can be shattered. Every one of us has had a cobra somewhere in our past. Whether on the job, in the neighborhood, or even in the church, they have misspoken or misquoted you and caused great problems. I could write a book about some of the junk I've had to try and clean up because people dropped my name in a conversation or misquoted something I said.

So friend, the next time you hear a bunch of gossip, go to the source before you say anything. If you can't verify what you've heard, just keep your mouth shut. Your silence in such matters is worth more than silver and gold.