Keep it

Have you ever had someone tell your secret? I mean, you told this person that you were really close to, that you thought was your true friend, one of your deepest, darkest secrets, which they promised that they would never tell anyone, only to hear your secret from someone else? Hurts, doesn't it?

On the other hand, have you ever been the "friend" that betrayed another's trust? Have you ever been asked to keep a secret, take it to you grave, pinkie-promised and everything, only to realize that it was just too good to keep to yourself? You asked the person you told not to tell anyone, but, they were not as trustworthy as you, and they told others.

Today's word is Proverbs 20:19, NIV, which reads, "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much."

We shouldn't keep secrets from our spouses. We also shouldn't keep someone's secret if they have committed crimes that should be told. But, the point is that we all have secrets, things that we did that we are not proud of, things that we wouldn't want anyone to know. Yet, one day, we just feel the urge to purge our soul, telling someone our secret, only to have them tell others.

I bet, if we would only think about it, the person we told had at some time or another told us someone else's secret. Some people just can't be trusted with your confidence. We have to be wise as to whom we share our secrets. We also have to be trustworthy enough to be someone else's confidant. We must avoid those who will tell ours; we must avoid being the one that tells others'.

Sometimes, our friends just need to share something, to get it off his/her chest. When they do that, we must be deliberate about keeping their confidence. If they ask you to keep their secret, keep it.

Be Blessed,
Mickey T