Stopping Rumors

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled Stopping Rumors, was written by Amy Boucher-Pye. After Charles Simeon was named the minister of Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge, England, he faced years of opposition. As most in the congregation had wanted the associate minister to be appointed rather than Simeon, they spread rumors about him and rejected his ministry, even at times locking him out of the church. But Simeon, who desired to be filled by God's Spirit, sought to cope with the gossip by creating some principles to live by.

One was never to believe rumors unless they were absolutely true, and another was always to believe that if the other side were heard, a very different account would be given of the matter. In this practice, Simeon followed God's instructions to his people to cease the gossip and malicious talk he knew would erode their love for each other. One of God's Ten Commandments reflects his desire for them to live truthfully. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Another instruction in Exodus reinforces this commandment. Do not spread false reports. Think of how different the world would be if each of us never spread rumors and false reports and if we stopped them the moment we heard them. May we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us speak the truth in love as we use our words to bring glory to God. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.

When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, please help us to speak your truth in love and give us hearts that seek to bring peace and grace and encouragement and to turn away from the temptation to spread rumors that only divide us and lead us to hurt feelings and broken relationships. May every word from our mouths be honoring to you and draw people closer to you. Thank you, Lord. It's in your name that we pray. Amen.