Unfaithful in Word, Unfaithful in Much

“A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” (Pr 11:13 AV)

It would seem Solomon is telling us that a gossip cannot be trusted with much.  If he is unfaithful in keeping secrets, then he will be unfaithful is other areas.  If he has little discretion with the facts or details of the lives of others, where would his wisdom lie?  Those who have tamed the tongue, so says James, have tamed the whole body.  If confidentiality is honored, then the discipline to perform other duties is present.  Keeping in trust the private lives of others is a character trait for those who do all things well.

If someone is busy talebearing, they are probably not busy doing more constructive things.  If secrets are his industry, other tasks will go undone.  Have you ever watched nature?  It is fascinating.  Squirrels are interesting.  They often busy themselves in verbal jousting.  They sit in the crock of a tree, or hanging upside down on a trunk, or on a eave of a rooftop chirping away.  Their little tails will twitch with each chirp.  When they are sparring, little verbal input is offered.  However, once they stop sparring, a conversation can ensue.  Squirrels are known for gathering and burying food for the winter.  They will often take an acorn or walnut and bury it on the forest floor.  They have nests in trees, and they gather food for the winter.  They are very busy animals.  Yet when they chirp, all that industry stops.  There are no gathering of nuts.  There is no building of nests.  There is no burying food for the winter.  All they need to do to survive ceases for a moment.  They are too busy verbalizing to tend to more important duties.

So it is with the talebearer.  He cannot be trusted because he is not faithful.  He cannot be given important tasks because he is too busy sharing information to no end.  The talebearer cannot be entrusted with information.  So why trust him with anything more?  Being a gossip is more harmful than the words used to inflict harm on another.  It harms the one sharing the news.  He or she will be seen as someone who is unreliable.  He or she cannot be trusted.  They cannot put aside their own agendas for the sake of something much bigger.  If a person is unfaithful in information, he will be unfaithful in duties of life.