“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

As a minister and counselor, confidentiality is imperative to what I do. As a grandfather, it is a slightly less rigid rule. Whenever I am talking with a person, especially one in crisis, I make it clear that I am legally bound to break confidentiality if I believe they may hurt themselves or others. In decades of private conversations, I have never violated that principle. On rare occasions, I have notified one of my kids if a grandchild reveals something that I believe they, as the parent, should be aware of. Spreading gossip is always wrong. Sharing things that have been told to you in confidence is also wrong most of the time. Solomon says guarding our lips will preserve lives. In this passage, he means not only the life of the one who guards the confidence, but also the life of the one whose confidence is being protected. We have seen so many people’s lives wrecked because someone shared a piece of a story, or a misrepresentation of a story, that was not theirs to share in the first place. Something in the nature of man longs to be able to tell news first, whether it’s accurate or not. Something in the Spirit of God draws us to be a safe place. Solomon also tells us in this verse that it is the one who speaks rashly, out of turn, who will come to ruin. Today, listen in confidence. #BeTheEdge

“…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…” James 1:19