Letting People In                                                                                           August 8, 2021

“He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.” (Proverbs 11:13)

“He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip.”  (Proverbs 20:19)

People who have lived a private life are likely to find it very challenging to confide in others after they have become a Christian.  Yet, it will be very difficult for them to live their Christian life without the encouragement and advice from their brothers and sisters in Christ.

The New Testament has many scriptures that speak of the necessity of having good, healthy relationships within one’s church family.  We all need one another to get to heaven.  We all need to pray for one another and yet this is difficult to do without knowing what to pray for.  Certainly it makes a world of difference to know that others are thinking of us and are expressing concern for us.  But to let people into your personal life and reveal some of your struggles is not a very easy thing to do.  Yet, at times. it is absolutely necessary for the sake of one’s healing and recovery.

However, the problem that often arises when one confides in another is when their confider doesn’t keep your discussions in private but rather relates them to others without your permission.  Your trust has been broken and it will be very difficult to ever confide in another person again.  What a shame because we need those in whom we can confide in and those in whom we can trust.  There are untold blessings in having such people in your life.

So, when it come to letting people into your life, may I suggest that you first pray about it before you just pick anyone and get to know the person very well before you let them into your life.  It can be a life-changing experience either for the good or for the bad, so choose wisely.

Brian Thompson