Read Proverbs 16:23-33

This morning please notice Proverbs 16:27 & 28, "An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends."   

Verse 16:27 - I have known people who thought it was their calling in life to spread the word about another's faults and sins.  I'm not dismissing the vital need we have to live our lives in humble obedience to the Lord. But we should be prayerful for a person who has transgressed, and try to get them back into proper fellowship with the Lord. The word translated "ungodly man" is one of the New Testament names for Satan.  The act of digging up dirt about another and then spreading it like a wildfire is Satan like. Rather than being part of the problem, we should be part of the solution.  Don't be hurtful by having a tongue that spreads news faster than CNN.

Verse 16:28 "A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.” Gossips cause trouble. In fact, they can separate close friends by their divisive mouths.  Don't be a sower of discord, but be a peacemaker.  Christ, in the Beatitudes, states, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

Are you given to slander?  Do you gossip?  Or do you lovingly seek to help someone who has fallen away from the Lord?  Let's keep these words in mind. They are words of wisdom given by the Lord.

Your Friend and HIS,

Pastor Abbott

MEDITATIONS

1.  Why are so many people given to speaking slanderously about others?

2.  Think about the harm done to someone’s reputation through slander.  Are there instances when they will never be able to build a good and honorable reputation?

3.  Have you ever sought to help someone who had failed?  What did you do and how did your help encourage them?