The trap of gossip is dangerous

Thought: Whoever gossips to you will be a gossip of you.

Biblical text: "A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret." (Proverbs 11:13)

In 1752, a group of Methodist men, including John Wesley, signed a covenant. Every man agreed to hang it on his study wall. The six articles of this solemn agreement were as follows;

1. That we will not listen or willingly inquire after ill concerning one another;
2. That, if we do hear any ill of each other, we will not be forward to believe it;
3. That as soon as possible we will communicate what we hear by speaking or writing to the person concerned;
4. That until we have done this, we will not write or speak a syllable of it to any other person.
5. That neither will we mention it, after we have done this, to any other person;
6. That we will not make any exception to any of these rules unless we think ourselves absolutely obliged in conference.

Talk about an Anti-Gossip Pact!

Always remember: the person who tells you: "don't tell this to a soul!", has probably told all the souls you know.