Proverbs 11:13
“A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.”
One of the greatest evils in life is that of talebearing. Talebearing destroys lives and reputations. When you checkout at the grocery store, you see magazines that are given to talebearing. These magazines do not care if what they are saying is true, the only thing they care about is selling a magazine at the expense of the one whom they put on their cover.
The word “talebearer” means, “a hawker or traveling chapman.” In other words, a talebearer peddles tales for the sake of profit. This profit isn’t always financial, but in many cases it’s about looking as if you are “in the know” about certain people.
God never talks highly of a talebearer. Every time God talks of a talebearer in Scriptures it is in a negative connotation. God does not like talebearing. Let me point out several things about a talebearer so as to caution you from listening to their tales.
First, just because a talebearer says it is true does not make it true. I am not a fan of most news reporters. I have watched them take portions of truth and report a whole story about someone to turn public opinion against them. As wicked as this is, talebearers are no different. Many talebearers don’t tell the whole truth. Many times they tell what they want you to know leaving out portions of the story that are important to the truth. You would be wise to err on the side of believing in the one who the tale is about than believing the talebearer.
Second, talebearers cannot be trusted. You may enjoy the tales they tell you because they are not about you, but one day they will tell tales about you. God says the talebearer reveals secrets. They don’t care who they tell the secret about as long as they have a secret to bear. Right now it may be about someone else, but eventually they will talk about you. Your association with talebearers should be little to none.
Third, what a talebearer tells you is not your business. Even if what they tell you is first-hand information, they learned that in the strictest of confidence, which means it is none of your business. If it is your business to know about what the talebearer is trying to tell you, then God would have brought it your way. Christian, you have enough to take care of without having to involve yourself in something that is not your business.
Fourth, talebearers are time wasters. Think of the time you could use for good that you used listening to a talebearer. You could live your life constantly gathering dirt from talebearers, but what is that going to profit you? A talebearer’s tale is going to waste your time, so don’t give them your time to waste.
Let this devotional be a friendly reminder to avoid talebearing and talebearers. There are so many more things you can do in life that are productive for the cause of Christ. If you will learn to stop the talebearer from telling you tales, then you will find they will stop bothering you. Instead of listening to the talebearer, let your mind be filled with good and spend your time trying to build people.