TLIC FAMILY. PROVERBS. OCTOBER 8: BACKBITING.

TLICfamily

Oct 8

THINK TOGETHER.

Have you heard any gossip lately (don't repeat it, just answer the question)?

READ TOGETHER

Proverbs 25:23. The north wind brings rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

Here's something everyone in Solomon's time knew: the north wind brings the rain. Here's something else that everyone should know: backbiting makes people angry. Are you a backbiter? A gossip? A secret teller? A blabbermouth? Do you talk about others behind their back?

Solomon is warning his children that backbiters make people angry. Nobody likes a backbiter. The word backbiter is sometimes meant to mean sneaky or sly. A "sly tongue" makes people angry. What does this mean? It means that often we try to be sneaky when we talk about others behind their backs.

How can we keep from being a backbiting gossip? First always ask yourself if the person you are talking about would want you to say what you are saying. We talked about empathy a couple days ago. Empathy is feeling what others feel. So ask yourself, how would I feel if someone talked about me behind my back.

Never forget what Jesus taught us – do to others what you would want done to you. This is called The Golden Rule. Do you want others to gossip about you? Of course not. Then don't gossip about others. It's that simple.

The second way we can keep from being a gossip is the most important way. More than just following the Golden Rule and knowing how our backbiting makes others feel, is knowing our own hearts. WHY do I gossip? Why do I backbite? Why do I sneakily talk about others? And why does it make me feel good inside when I do? Maybe it's so that you feel better about yourself, or look good to others while putting someone else down. But we never need to put others down to feel good about ourselves when we have Jesus. He makes us feel good. He gives us our confidence and strength. He only says good things about us to us and to our Heavenly Father.

Because of Jesus all God says to us and about us is good.

With Jesus we never have to backbite to feel good about ourselves.

DO SOMETHING TOGETHER

Review "T.H.I.N.K. before you speak" from October 4's devotional.

PRAY TOGETHER

Jesus, I don't want to be a gossiping backbiter. Help me to get my confidence from you and not from putting others down. Amen.