THINK TOGETHER.
Have you ever asked someone to keep a secret but they didn’t?
READ TOGETHER
Proverbs 11:13. Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
One of the most important things you can be is trustworthy. A trustworthy person is one who does what they said they will do. For example, if you promise to keep a secret and then you tell everyone, you are not trustworthy. You are a slanderer or a gossip. Do you know what a gossip is?
When we spread negative information about another person (even if it is true) we are being a gossip. If you hear that someone got in trouble at school, and then you tell the other students in your class about it, you are being a gossip. When you know that your friend failed the test, and then you whisper about it to others, you are being a gossip. You are telling someone’s secret.
We live in a world that loves gossip. It loves hearing and telling secrets about others. Why? Because usually talking about others makes us feel better about ourselves. But God hates gossip. The Bible always lists gossip among the worst of sins. God commands us to not talk bad about each other or spread bad things about others that we hear. Why? Because first, it is simply unloving to talk bad about others. And second, it shows that we don’t trust Jesus to be who makes us feel good about ourselves. When you know Jesus loves you and is for you, then you don’t ever have to drag others down by slandering them. You can keep the mistakes and faults under cover, just like Jesus does with you.
Because of Jesus all our bad is covered by his blood.
With Jesus we can cover over others’ bad things and stop gossiping.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Do some role-playing exercises together as a family. “What would you do if you heard ___?” Act out some scenarios where you hear negative information about someone but you keep it a secret.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, help me to stop gossiping and instead be a good friend who doesn’t spread secrets and negative talk. I want to build others up like you do. Amen.
TLICfamily 