“A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.“—Proverbs 16:28

An old proverb relates the story of a person who repeated gossip – some rumor about a neighbor. Soon, the whole community had heard the rumor. Later, the person who spread the gossip learned that the rumor was untrue. The person was very sorry and went to an elder in the community who had a reputation for great wisdom to seek advice. The elder told the person, “Go to your home and take a feather pillow outside. Rip it open and scatter the feathers, then return to me tomorrow.” The person did as the elder had instructed. The next day, the person visited the elder. The elder said, “Go and collect the feathers you scattered yesterday and bring them back to me.” The person went home and searched for the feathers, but the wind had carried them all away. The person returned to the elder and said, “I could find none of the feathers I scattered yesterday.” “You see,” said the elder, “it’s easy to scatter the feathers but impossible to get them back.” So it is with gossip; it doesn’t take much to spread hurtful words, but once you do, you can never completely undo the damage.

Gossip is one of those areas of the Christian life that is so important for us to work to restrain—because of the potential damage it causes—but so difficult for so many of us to get under control. It is so easy for us within the Christian community to gossip about others, often within our own community of faith, because we do so under the banner of “sharing”. We “share” with others about a friend’s “problem” because we want others to pray for them. (Wink. Wink.) The reality is, however, that it’s just plain gossip. Gossip feels good. It feels good to know something about someone else and to share that something with another. Yet, even under the best of motives, “sharing” easily turns into “gossip” and we do damage like the proverb points out, that we can’t completely undo.

Nothing is more deadly to relationships than spreading false rumors and gossip. The wise person keeps their tongue in check. The next time you are tempted to gossip remember the proverb of the feathers and how your words, once they do damage, may never be completely undone. Ask God to give you the wisdom and strength you need to resist the urge to gossip.–Jim Liebelt

“…the wisdom of the just..”. – Luke 1:17

The Lord’s people are justified freely, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The work of Jesus is their justification before God; in this they trust; in this they plead; and in this they rejoice. Taught by the Holy Spirit, they manifest wisdom in readily believing God’s faithful word, and trusting Him to make good the same to them.

They resign themselves and all they value into His hands for preservation, and to be entirely at His disposal, persuaded that His wisdom and love will do better for them, than they possibly could for themselves. They refer all things to God for His decision, and cheerfully abide by His sentence.

They live in simple, child-like dependance upon His providence and grace, for body and soul, for time and eternity, seeking to make His will theirs. They walk in charity with their fellow-Christians, who differ in some things from them, and would do good to all, especially to them that are of the household of faith.

Beloved, do you manifest this wisdom? Do you walk by this rule? Do you mind the same things? Have you the wisdom that is from above, which is pure, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits?—James Smith, 1840

Boundless wisdom, power Divine,
Love unspeakable, are Thine;
Wisdom, Lord, to me be given,
Wisdom pure, which comes from heaven.

“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee” Psalm 55:22

There are some mistaken notions current concerning the ways in which God would help us. People think that whenever they have a little trouble, a bit of hard path to go over, a load to carry, a sorrow to endure—all they have to do is to call upon God, and He will at once take away their sorrow, or free them from the trouble. But this is not the way God helps us! His purpose of love concerning us is—not to make all things easy for us—but to make something of us!

When we ask God to save us from our trouble, to take the struggles out of our life, to make the paths mossy, to lift off every heavy load—He will not do it! It would be most unloving in Him to accommodate us. We must carry the burden ourselves! All God promises is, to sustain us—as we carry it! He wants us to learn life’s lessons, and to do this—we must be left to work out the problems for ourselves.

There are rich blessings which can be gotten, only in sorrow. It would be short-sighted love indeed—which would heed our cries, and spare us from sorrow—and thus deprive us of the wonderful blessings which can be gotten only in sorrow! God is too good to us to answer our prayers—which would save us from pain, cost, and sacrifice today—at the price of holier, better, truer life in the end. He would not rob us of the blessing that is in the burden—which we can get only by carrying it! –J. R. Miller