Trusting God When Fortitude Fails You

This wordy string of wisdom is something I uttered years ago. I was probably about eleven or twelve; so just a few short years ago. 😊 I was telling my family a story about a friend. This friend had told me a story that her friend had told her. She said that another friend had told that friend. To this day I can’t remember what the story was but my cousin Kara and I still get a laugh at my eloquent babble.

Do you ever find yourself with a story to tell? Is it a racy story? A disturbing story? A secret story? Is it your story to tell? Does this person know you are telling their story? Are you telling the story because you want others to “pray” for this person? I am not saying that asking for prayer for a friend is wrong. I am saying that telling a story under the guise of being helpful is wrong. The Word of God tells us it is wrong.

“You are not to repeat false rumors; do not join hands with the wicked by offering perjured testimony.” Exodus 23:1 CJB

“A slanderer’s words are tasty morsels; they slide right down into the belly.” Proverbs 18:8 CJB

You may say to yourself, “The story I am telling isn’t false.” Maybe the story is true but why are you telling it and not the person to whom it belongs?

I have been a part of such backchat. On occasion, I was the one doing the chatting. Sometimes I would find myself right in the middle of a gabfest and feel a sickness in my stomach. And then there was the time I literally walked into a conversation about me!

I didn’t always equate my “discussion” with gossip. But most of the time it was. There is something intoxicating about knowing a juicy secret and telling others raises the level of excitement. Now I try to keep myself from saying anything about a person that I wouldn’t say in front of them. I remind myself how it felt to walk into my own disparaging story. I remind myself that our Heavenly Father wants us to build each other up; not tear each other down. I remind myself to be a trustworthy person.

“A gossip goes around revealing secrets, but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.” Proverbs 11:13 CJB

When a friend is already hurting don’t multiply the pain by gossiping about them. Be their tried-and-true friend who listens but never repeats it.