2 Corinthians 12:20
For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
During World War II, there were colorful posters displayed in prominent places with this slogan: LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS. The intended message was to beware of unguarded talk because the enemy may be listening, and it could lead to disaster for our fighting men.
In our daily walk, we are exposed to loose lips. Another name for it is gossip. That is a horrible word. It implies spreading lies or half-truths about another person. An easy way to determine if gossip is involved is to ask if the words being spoken about a person would ever be spoken directly to that person.
Born-again believers that hold true to the faith, and have high standards of morality about many things, are sometimes guilty of having loose lips. It is certainly nothing to take lightly. I once worked for an obstinate boss and was guilty of gossiping about his actions.
The Lord convicted me of my sin and I quickly confessed it. The hard part was going to that man and asking for his forgiveness. I assured him that from that moment on I would confront him directly when I disagreed with his actions. I was promoted soon after that because he knew he could trust me. Do you have loose lips?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil