What really stands out to me in this Proverb is verse 13 – A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. Our words matter – in conversations and emails and texts and blogs and phone calls and all the rest. Remember the last time you sent a text to a wrong person? Much of the strife in our families and offices and dorms and churches and nations is because of foolish words. But we often underestimate the importance of our words. Gossip is often perceived as a little sin. But it destroys churches. Gossip can even be perceived as some kind of need: “I have to let all this out!” As Americans, we do have the right of free speech. But when we become Christians, we enter a new culture where we surrendered that right we stop learning out whatever we feel. We bring our words under the judgment of God’s word. That Bible says, “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11).
Our daily prayer should be, “Lord, don’t let one word come out of our mouths that isn’t of you. Let every word we speak be of you.” We want every word to be a blessing. Good words make people glad in Christ. If we as believers do this together, there will be a revival.
