A Ways to Go

The words slipped out before I could stop them. As soon as I heard myself, I knew I shouldn’t have spoken them. Yet, once again, my mouth spoke before I thought about the impact of what I was saying.

I am a public speaker, teachng parents and children how to not be victims of bullying. I teach about the energy in our words. I show compelling pictures that provide evidence of Proverbs 18:21 that tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. I prove that we were taught a lie when our mothers’ told us “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Words hurt. I know this.

And yet, I said them anyway.

The words that were not mine to say. But I had my reasons. See, I knew that the person I was telling could really help the one we were talking about. She didn’t know these things that I thought she should know.

Then it dawned on me. I am not the source of words of knowledge! It is not my job. Especially in this way. Gossip dressed up as caring concern.

We’re good at that! Using the guise of prayer requests to divulge information that is not ours to share. We say, out loud, how we want God to work in this other person’s life, and yet all the while having that finger pointing outward, three are pointing back at me.

There is a fine line between gossip and sharing with the body of Christ those things that are needed. This particular day, the line was quite a fuzzy one. But as soon as I said it, I could feel the spikes and shards of gossip on the edges of the words hanging in the air.

I know I am still a work in progress, but this sure is a tough area for me.

I repented right away, but after finding myself in this same place where I have been before does not feel good at all. I thought I was a quick learner.

Still have a ways to go!