He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.

                                                                                                               Proverbs 11:13 

Today: Read Proverbs 11

A large portion of living the Christian life is to be a person of integrity and a large portion of integrity is the ability to be trustworthy. Today’s passage reveals to us that there are typically two types of people when it comes to the issue of being trustworthy. Some people are what the writer describes as a “talebearer”, someone who finds it necessary to reveal sacred information to a third party. In contrast, the trustworthy person is able to keep confidential information while maintaining the trust of the individual who has confided in them. While there are extenuating circumstances that would require the revealing of private information (i.e. someone is seeking to harm themselves or someone else), most matters of sacred information should be held in the strictest of confidence. A trustworthy person is someone who can be trusted with such information and in whom there is not a temptation to gossip about or slander another. The truth found in this proverb is repeated five additional times in the Proverbs (16:28, 18:8, 20:19, 26:20, 26:22). Scripture has much to say about slandering others and gossiping about them, the opposite of being trustworthy.

Paul had his concern that the believers in the first century would succumb to such attitudes and actions. Consider the following: 

For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances…

                                                                                                2 Corinthians 12:20 

I believe that all of these attitudes found on this list are interrelated. Jealousy can lead to slander and gossip. Once the tongue gets involved, anger, tempers, and disputes are sure to follow. When you consider what Jesus said about fulfilling the Law, “Treating others the way that we want them to treat us” (Matthew 7:12), it would seem that eliminating slander and gossip in the church would be a straightforward matter. But because of our sinful, corrupt nature that we still have in this life, being a talebearer can come quite naturally for some. Consider Paul’s instructions: 

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 

                                                                                                Ephesians 4:31 

If we are going to be known as a trustworthy people, we must “put away” all slanderous speech along with gossip. James echoes this same sentiment:

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

                                                                                             James 4:11 (NIV) 

James brings this discussion into an even deeper level. His exhortation is to not slander, but he goes beyond this instruction. He explains that if we speak against or judge others, we are actually speaking against the law of God. In reality, we are not keeping the law rather we are “sitting in judgment on it.” It is vital that we understand the importance of ridding ourselves of backstabbing, backbiting, gossip, and slander. It simply does not have a place in the life of a believer nor the church as a whole.

We are to be a trustworthy people. We should live with integrity and that means that we are to avoid being “talebearers.” Christians should be known as people that can keep a confidence when entrusted with sacred information. The wisdom found in the Proverbs can assist us in discerning whom we can trust and in whom we should avoid. But as far as in depends on us, let’s be trustworthy individuals!