“I did it, but my family needs me, I need to keep my job. I can’t afford a lawyer. Can you help me get out of this mess?” Family man confesses to his buddy.
“My heart is broken. My grandson has broken his parole. If they find out, he will be back in prison.” Grandmother confides to her friend.
“I am at wit’s end, I know my husband is being unfaithful to me.” Wife weeps brokenly to her sister.
“I am a shop-lifter. I need help. Please pray for me.” Church member says to her small prayer cluster.
“I’ve been told I have a serious illness, that I must prepare for my death in about four months.” Friend explains to me about her depression.
Secrets. The Bible says to love one another, confess to one another, pray for one another. These kinds of statements are fairly common in the Christian community, and as far as I have observed, secrets remain secrets within that setting. Most Bible-conscious people are warned against the sin of gossip, and they feel accountable before God for the precious gift that has been entrusted to them when someone confides in them. I’m sure other religions have taboos regarding “a loose tongue,” but I’m not familiar with them as I am with the Bible. There are many of all faiths (or no faith) who take their responsibility seriously. Do you have a confidant to whom you can turn? Are you the kind of person in whom others can put their trust? Or do your acquaintances have to go to a professional—if they can afford to? No light burden—that of keeping one’s mouth shut!
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Everyday Inspiration, Assignment Day 3 – Choose one word as prompt from the following choices. Hope, Regret, Home, Choice, Secret, Abundance This is a post from September last year. I think it deserves a re-posting.
Sweet aroma 
Really good post.
Thank you.
One of the powerful lessons we must learn when we are involved in particularly sensitive prayer ministries. Thank you for the concise and powerful reminder. (the safety pin principle).
That’s a new principle for me, Faye. Does it mean the same as “zip your lip?” Isn’t it James who stresses the importance of what the tongue says. Thank you for your comment.
A very interesting post which asks a very important question! How far would we go to keep a secret?
It is awfully hard not to tell things. Sometimes people feel like they can tell if they don’t tell who they are talking about. That’s a no-no too. However, I have done that when there has been lots of years and distance since the confidence was shared. I think some professionals do that. Give case histories but do not identify people. Still one has to be careful.
I have friends I trust. Sad to say Oneta, but I have found church people to be some of the worst gossipers. Even in my own family where my Grandpa’s and almost all his brother’s were Lutheran pastors and some of their sons such as my Uncle are pastors. There are certain people I know as friends from church I would trust. But I’d be very careful where secrets and church are concerned, too much judgement. Just my experience though.
Mandibelle, you are ever so right. See above where Faye mentions the situation when people ask for prayer. Sorry if you have been betrayed in this way. Jesus will not take it lightly. He said, that it is better to have a millstone put around the neck and drowned in the sea than to offend one of his little ones. (Exact quote is Matt. 18:6) Generally one can identify a gossip after a few minutes of talking with one. If someone tells me a secret, I know better than to confide in that person.
Thanks Oneta 🙂 I will look at those previous comments.
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A lot of people need to learn this lesson.
Gossip itself is a grievous sin, imagine what it is to tell things that you have been entrusted with!
A serious betrayal!
Ah, the tongue! The power to give life and bring death. Two-edged for certain! Giggle.😉 I have found it best to operate (the tongue) through connecting (it) to the heart. ❤️ The head-connection often seems to fail yet the heart is a powerful tamer of the tongue! Thank you for the reminder…that I may be in need of a tune-up!😇 Hugs!!!
Connected to the heart. Good. Sort of like love covering a multitude of sins. That we would have the desire to not hurt that is bigger than our motivation to gossip. Thanks dear.