The truth, the Whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God!

Do I have control over the tongues of others when they tell lies, spread gossip and rumors about me?

What about my own tongue? Do I tell lies or spread gossip and rumors about others?

Do I have lying lips and deceitful tongue?

I need to watch my own tongue first. Gossip, rumors, slander, outright lies; all of the above are so prevalent. However, the truth starts in me.

To thine own self be true. I can’t control what others say about me, but if I’m a man of integrity, treating others with respect and observing the golden rule, then other people won’t have much fuel to use when they choose to use their tongue to crush my reputation or otherwise harm me.

Jealousy is often the motive behind lies and rumors, when others choose to “talk smack” about me.

What goes around comes around. If you’re talking about others, others will talk about you. If you listen to gossip and rumors about others, these people will talk about you too. That’s what a talebearer is; a gossip, a busy body, a meddler in other peoples’ business.

If I’m known by others as a man of honesty, integrity and trustworthiness, when lies, rumors and gossip are lodged against me, they won’t believe it and may actually speak up on my behalf .

Talebearers exist in the church too. Sad but true. It’s a part of our sinful nature to lie. We instinctively learn to do it as toddlers and it becomes engrained into our moral makeup as we grow and develop. However, feeding on the word of God curbs our desire to become known as a liar or a talebearer. If our parents are doing a proper job in raising us, we’ll grow up knowing that lying is wrong, that it’s sinful behavior, and is unacceptable.

In a court of law, lying is known as purjory and is a crime and is punishable by law. Libel and slander are also crimes and can be the subject of civil lawsuits.

The power of the tongue starts in me, when I prayerfully and willfully choose to live by the Truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God!

David prayed to God to deliver him from such lying and deceit; not only from the mouths and lips of others, but also from doing the same, either in retaliation or from using his own tongue to frame untruths and lies about others!

I want to be like David, a man after God’s own heart. David referred to himself as “a servant of the Lord” (Psalms 36 introduction) a servant of the Lord will not be included with lies and rumors; not in crafting them with their own heart and tongue, nor listening to that being spread and circulated by others. A true man of God, filled with the Spirit of God, will not be a part of such behavior, nor associate with those who do such things.

That’s what David prays about in Psalm 120 (and many other places in Scripture!

Proverbs 11:13 NLT
[13] A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

https://bible.com/bible/116/pro.11.13.NLT

Psalms 120:1-3 NKJV
[1] In my distress I cried to the Lord, And He heard me. [2] Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue. [3] What shall be given to you, Or what shall be done to you, You false tongue?

https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.120.1-3.NKJV