Nancy Hughes: Would you say it to my face?

“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed,
or hidden that will not be made known. What you
have said in the dark will be heard in the
daylight, and what you have whispered
in the ear in the inner rooms will
be proclaimed from the roofs.”
Luke 12:2-3 (NIV)

Cell phones can be a great way of communicating . . . most of the time. On the plus side, you don’t have to stay at home waiting for an important phone call because you can be reached no matter where you might be. But there can be a down side to them, too, as a girlfriend of mine found out several years ago.

She had received a call on her cell phone from Marie with questions about a party that was being planned. The conversation was a bit complicated because Marie’s sister was at her home to help plan the party so the conversation went from Marie to her sister, back to Marie and then to my friend.

Marie finally solved that problem: she put her cell phone on speaker so they could all hear the conversation at the same time. When they finally had everything planned out, Marie said “I’ll talk to you later” as my friend said “Okay.”

The one catch? Marie forgot to hit the “end” button on her cell phone.

That in itself wouldn’t necessarily be bad because my friend could simply have hung up but she heard her name and started to answer, thinking that Marie had forgotten to ask her something. However, what she heard caused her to catch her breath and tears to roll.

The two women she had just talked to on the phone were discussing her and it was not a kind discussion. Their opinions left no item out of the conversation, from how poorly she decorated her home to her lack of cooking skills to her latest haircut.

As my friend heard the conversation move on to her husband and children she hung up, brokenhearted and incredibly sad at the comments of the two women.

I could not help thinking about today’s Scripture after she tearfully shared what had happened. “What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight…”

Confession time, my friends. How many of us have made unkind comments and given our opinions about someone that would have crushed that person had we said it face to face?

Me…I raise my hand here but not in a proud way. I am ashamed to say that I have made comments that would have hurt deeply the person I was talking about had they heard them. I am the one who has whispered judgment about someone that I would never ever want “proclaimed from the roofs.”

It is never okay to gossip and comment hurtfully about someone. As I comforted my friend and her broken heart, I also asked the Lord to forgive me for those things I have said that would hurt so deeply if repeated to the person.

Join me in memorizing Luke 12:2-3. And let us resolve to do everything we can to encourage and not rip apart as we hit the “end” button on hurtful comments so that the only thing “proclaimed from the roofs” is the love of Jesus.

Father, I am ashamed about the harsh words that I have spoken about someone that I would never say to her face. Forgive me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

Have you ever made a comment about someone that you would be embarrassed to have them know?

What do you think their reaction would be if they had heard your comment about them? Hurt? Tears?

Application

Before you respond to a comment made about someone, take a breath and ask yourself: Would I be embarrassed or ashamed if that person was standing in front of me when I answer?

Memorize today’s Scripture as a reminder before you comment about others.

Power Verses

Luke 12:2-3 (NIV) “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.”

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Titus 3:2 (NIV) “to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”

(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.)