In Proverbs 12:18 it says, "There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing." This is the key to the difference. One who is wise. Wisdom makes the difference. There is a story that has been going around for many years about a wise King who saw much destruction in his Kingdom being done by a gossip who was spreading all kinds of untruths about others. The Subject was brought into the Kings presence for discipline and judgement. The wise King instructed the Gossip to take a large bag of feathers, go out into the court yard of the castle and spread the feathers up into the air until the bag was completely empty. Once the feathers were dispersed, the King told the Subject to go and collect every last feather and return to him with the bag and the feathers.  

After hours of searching and picking up feathers, the Subject returned to the King and said, "Your Lord, I cannot possibly retrieve all of those feathers as you asked. They have blown from East to West and from North to South and it is impossible to get to them all. What should I do?" The wise King explained how the gossip that was spread around, about others, was the same as the feathers being thrown in the wind. The damage was done, the poison dispersed, and the venom can never be completely retrieved again. No amount of damage control can possibly find all of the destructive "feathers" that were out there, intentional or not. In our modern society with lightning speed technology, we still have the same problems of gossip, just with faster results. Sometimes it is done while asking for prayer for someone, maybe at a Bible Study, and sometimes it's emailed across the world as part of updating information to others about news at home.  

Let's all stop and think about the information that we are dispersing about someone else before we pass it on. Is it gossip, or the truth? And even if it IS the truth, should we be passing it on to another? Is the information: encouraging, uplifting, helpful, etc.? Is the information given putting the individual it's about, in the best possible light? Is the person being told the information in a position to truly be able to help with the problem? There is not one of us reading this or even creating it, that has not been guilty of some form of violation of this principle. Let's each take a new and fresh look at our own part in this pain creating activity and make a commitment anew to do all that we can to encourage and uplift those around us by looking for the best in others and telling them about what we see in them that we appreciate and what possible talents they have that can lead them ahead to the success they truly desire in life. Each of us CAN make a difference in those around us to make this world a better place! God Bless each and everyone of you as you start this new day!