FRIDAY DECEMBER 20
‘...They gather gossip, and...spread it...' Psalms
41:6 NLT
Confidentiality
A man is said to have approached Socrates one day to
share some gossip. The wise philosopher asked, 'First, are you certain it's
true? Second, is it something good? Third, is it something useful?' When the
man said, 'Not really,' Socrates replied, 'Well, if it's not true, good or
useful, why talk about it?' Gossip can feel like a form of intimacy, but it's
actually a false bond motivated by the desire to diminish another person and
make yourself look good. David said, 'They visit...as if they were my friends,
but...they gather gossip, and...spread it...' Solomon said, 'Gossip
separates...best...friends' (Proverbs 16:28 NLT), and it can cause you to lose
'your good reputation' (Proverbs 25:10 NLT). Kevin Miller says: 'A challenge in
ministry is confidentiality - how open can you be? The following questions can
help you decide: Are you telling someone who can do something about the problem
by helping, or offering discipline or correction? Are you talking to someone
wise enough to help you process your feelings and courageous enough to make you
do the right thing by confronting the other person, or confessing where you're
at fault? Is this news approved for sharing? Are you breaking a confidence, and
if so, is it strictly because the person is endangering someone's life,
including their own? Are you willing to divulge your source so it can be
checked? When you say this, does it break your heart? Have you examined your
own life and confessed where you've sinned in similar areas? Are you praying
for the person? Would you be comfortable if someone was saying this about you?'
Taken
from the Word for You Today Devotional
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