Cambridge SDA Church

REVEALER OR CONCEALER? 
  By Pastor Lem Niere

“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” James 3:8

Have you ever felt stabbed in the back by someone who repeated secret information you had shared with him? How did you feel when you realized that person had betrayed his commitment to keep that information confidential?

Has there ever been a time when you were guilty of repeating something that someone shared with you, trusting that you would keep it in confidence? Or have you ever been guilty of listening to someone who was gossiping about someone else, thereby showing yourself to be an unfaithful friend to the person who was being discussed?

In 2 Corinthians 12:20 Paul forbids gossip, using the Greek word psithurismos, which expresses the idea of a gossiper. In the King James Version it is translated as whisperings, because those who repeat or listen to gossip know this kind of talk is wrong and could get them in trouble; therefore, they whisper their tidbits of information in secret rather than in public.

There is nothing more distressful than the behaviour of a talebearer—one who meddles in other people’s affairs and repeats information that is none of his or her business to tell. This kind of person is continually putting his or her hose where it doesn’t belong and often makes a situation worse because people begin to talk, talk, and talk. Usually a talebearer doesn’t have all the facts and needlessly stirs up a lot of trouble as people begin to form opinions and take sides regarding situations they know very little.

Proverbs 11:13 says, “A talebearer reveals secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter.” So here are some questions to consider:

• When people think of you, do they think of you as a talebearer who repeats everything you hear, or do they find you to be confidential, private, and trustworthy?
• DO you have the reputation of being able to conceal a matter, or do people think you are two-faced and have loose lips?
• Are your friends certain that if someone starts to say something negative about them, you will walk away, refusing to listen to that rumor? Or do they worry that you might listen to gossip that is being spread about them?

Every listener has the ability to walk away from a conversation. No one has the right to force you into another person’s ears. You have a choice! You can either pull up a chair, draw closer to the gossiper—or you can choose to walk away and refuse to listen to him. Walking away from a gossiper paralyzes his ability to spread malice. Are you a revealer or a concealer?