“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Ephesians 4:29
Can you keep a secret? Secrets are intended to keep someone away from information that they “should not know.” The funny thing with secrets is that people tend to get hurt when they create too many secrets. Secrets can hurt relationships and even break marriages. A a single, you have the ability to let only “wholesome” talk come out of your mouth and choose to build up those around you. Too often singles get caught in the “secret trap” in their social groups and relationships are forever damaged by gossiping about those secrets. Here are a few proverbs about gossip.
- Proverbs 11:13
- A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
- Proverbs 16:28
- A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
- Proverbs 18:8
- The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.
- Proverbs 20:19
- A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.
- Proverbs 26:20
- Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.
Some of you are saying right now, “But where is the line with gossip?” Gossip is unwarranted sharing of information to others for conversation. Unwarranted information is things you share that no one asked you to share, but you thought it necessary. Gossip also tears another person down or diminishes them. When you share gossip you are sinning and causing the person you are with to sin as well. All of us all guilty of gossip, either intentional or unintentional. Keep in mind that if we keep our conversation beneficial to those who listen, we are less likely to gossip and more likely to build others up.
