Proverbs 10:19  When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,  But he who restrains his lips is wise.

One  of the things that most of us do when we are in any kind of hassle with someone is talk to much, especially if we are being accused, lectured, or blamed. Our automatic defense system seems to think that the more we talk the better we will appear to those we are talking to. But it ain’t so!  The main problem in our thinking is that we think we have to win if there is a disagreement, and the desire to win tends to shift our mouth into high gear. I like to win in checkers, chess, bicycle races, pinnocle, and poker, but I don’t have to win in a relational conflict. Jesus says that if we humble ourselves He will exalt us, but if we exalt ourselves He will humble us. So if we think we won the argument we probably lost it in the end. A relational peacemaker is one of the most esteemed people,in the eyes of God.  He gives them great blessings, and one of them is “authority”. This “authority” from God is not title or position, it is the kind of authority that Jesus had. When He spoke people listened, and when He led people followed.