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He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.
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The word ‘talebearer’ in today’s verse is basically a person who engages in gossip. And that is typically a matter of revealing secrets to others who are not directly involved, and not to benefit whoever is the subject of the matter. Of course the gossip in this type of situation is spreading information for no profitable reason. That person needs to know that he or she has fallen short and sinned. They need to know that the Lord is good and ready to forgive just as King David said {Ps.86:5}, speaking from his life experience!

There was a widely used expression in the United States Navy during the Second World War that said, ‘Loose Lips Sink Ships’ and throughout the ages gossip has done incredible harm—and it still usually does when it shows up today! It brings increased pain and suffering without any healing or correction.

It has always been a problem and seems to be all the more so in these days of Internet and Social Media where everybody wants to know—and talk about—everything about everybody else. If we see a brother or a sister doing something wrong the only person we should talk about it to is that person! And that with a desire to correct in love.

Interestingly, the first recorded example of gossip is when Adam and the woman had sinned, and the Lord came to them in the Garden as they were hiding. And Adam said to Him, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.’ {Gen.3:12} That man Adam, who was now at that point a sinner, placed the blame on everybody in sight, both God and the woman, and yet the Bible makes it clear that sin entered the world through him. {Rom.5:18-19} Gossips are generally blind to their own faults! And as a bit of an aside but an important one, it is as wrong for us to receive gossip as it is to bring it!

If you come to know that a brother or sister in the Lord has sinned our first thought should be to pray for that person, not to tell others! The Word has been given to teach us, to reprove us, to correct us and to train us in righteousness. {2Tim.3:16} Scripture says, ‘There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” {Pro.12:18} Sin is a disease unto death, Jesus said that His words are life! {Jn.6:63} We need to bring His Word, His life and His love into such a situation.

Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. {Mat.12:34} What fills our heart is most certainly supposed to be the love of God and the Word of God! As the apostle Paul wrote, ‘God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.’ {Rom.5:5} Our mouths speak out of the abundance of our hearts! {Lk.6:45}

“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.” (Matthew 18:15-16)

GOD’S WORD AND LOVE ARE POWER TO HEAL