READING: Proverbs 20-22, 2 Corinthians 11
It wasn’t long after I became a believer that I learned some folks talk a lot about others. My teenage friends did that, and we often dealt with the relational repercussions of too many people talking too much. What I didn’t realize until later was that even adults do the same thing. In fact, they might be worse about it; they not only talk too much at times, but some also strategically and wrongly decide for their own benefit who needs to know more.
The writer of Proverbs recognized, too, that some folks are too talkative: “The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth” (Prov 20:19). Some scholars believe the talkative person in this text was not necessarily intending malice; rather, he simply was unwise and perhaps naïve about telling too much of what he had heard. Others see the person in a negative light, instead viewing him as one who delighted in telling the secrets of others.
Either way, here’s the point: the person who tells the secrets of others will soon tell our secrets, too. It is, therefore, wise to avoid that kind of person. And, frankly, it is unwise to be that person.
PRAYER: “God, grant me wisdom in knowing when to speak. Help me not to have a big mouth.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: Yesterday, our challenge was to listen well. Today, speak well. Be wise and trusting in what you share.
TOMORROW’S READING: Proverbs 23-25, 2 Corinthians 12-13
