but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. (Prov. 17:9)
How do you handle it when someone wrongs you? It's tempting to get even or if you cannot get even to let as many people as possible know what happened. It's the natural thing to do. It happens when we have a bad experience at a restaurant: "don't eat at _______________; they brought me a drink and the glass had lipstick on it!!"
What's worse is when we repeat the matter that was repeated to us. At this point we are nothing but a conduit of gossip.
Sometimes the best thing to do is to say nothing. Elsewhere in Scripture we are told that love covers over a multitude of sins. When we keep the matter between us and the person who offended us, and deal with it like that... or when we are big enough to forgive and move on and not bring it up... we are allowing love to do its work.
Sometime this week something will not go your way. Someone will treat me wrong. At that point we'll have a choice to make: spread the bad news... or be quiet and promote love. Let's choose love.
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