Royal Living - Tight Lipped and Faithful
Proverbs 25: 9-10 If you have an argument with your neighbor, don't tell other people what was said. Whoever hears it might shame you, and you might not ever be respected again.
Tight Lipped
As a leader with a lot of connections, I get lots of questions. People are always wanting to know about other people. They may only know the public reputation, but they want any insider information they can get that is negative.
How do you feel about what they did? Did something else go on? How are they doing since........ happened?
My principle follows the advice of my mother. If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all.
Brokers of Sales
Another question I get asked is to introduce sales people. Now if you have a great product or service that will help a friend, I enjoy helping two friends meet and communicate. But, if I don't really believe there is a smart deal for both, I steer clear. Why create a breach in a good relationship? Why take too much advantage of a friendship? It has to promise good value for both.
Gossip On Grand Ave
Many large companies provide a forum for staff to air questions and comments. Most are negative in nature. Most are anonymous jibes at someone or some department the person does not like. It does provide a tap into the grumble and does provide some outlet. Yet, it is always full of acid. The words of a talebearer go down into the belly and cause a breach in the spirit, a leakage of courage, and a disruption of confidence and collaboration. It is a spillage of argument and to my knowledge has never resulted in any positive change or action on the part of the company.
Hmmm...
Live royal. Live confident.
Living royal means living above the acid line of conversation. It means avoiding repeat of negative you know. It means staying tight lipped and confidential. Think about that word. Confidential comes from confident. When I am confident in who and whose I am, there is no need to leak negative on others. True or false, the acid does no good for anyone.
Living royal means protecting relationships from constant intrusion and invasion. Whew, don't you hate it when a friend has such little value for your relationship that they will sell access just to please someone else or make a deal for themselves? I introduce many people to each other when there is a value after much prayer and understanding both parties. Protect your friends. Live royal.
Coffee Klatch
Some years ago at a lunch table, some rude jokes were being told. Conversation had little value. People were being slaughtered in their absence. You've walked into such conversations. You don't need to hear a word. The winking eye and shuffling feet tell it all. From my table I could not hear the words, but I could see the furtive faces.
A young man walked into the snake nest unaware. He was looking for a little luncheon friendship. As the ringleader of rumor prepared to launch into another raunchy tale, he looked down the table and made a statement. This one I heard.
"I can tell this here. There is no one too good to hear it."
Another person at the table motioned to the young man and said, "Jack is good. He doesn't need to hear it."
The table went quiet. Someone finally had the courage to stand up with a comment to stop the slurs. I bet they were wanting the junk to stop and just did not know how to make it happen. For the rest of lunch, the tone of the table shifted to normal conversation and the most negative sitting at the table left the lunch room.
Be a Jack, who lives in such a way others appeal to goodness in your soul.
Prayer
Father, our days are full of decisions regarding what we know. Teach us to wash from our minds and hearts the negative normalcy of friends and acquaintances. Each of us has faults. Teach us to cover faults with love and mercy. Teach us to be mindful that all of us have access to life changing power in You and the right to recover in privacy and permission to grow.
It is hard enough, Father, when we fail this call to confidence and our anger and hurt cause us to repeat hurtful information. Snag it and cause the spread to be stopped rapidly. Show us mercy in our mistakes. Teach us strength and goodness of speech.
Let our ears be stopped to the noise of accusation and repetition of rumors and finger pointing that accompanies life. There is no positive value. No one will be encouraged. No positive change will come of such chatter. Give us courage to speak good when ill is spoken.
Give us presence that stops the mouth of accusation.
Phil Larson
405-388-8037
508 Tumbleweed Dr.
Yukon, Ok 73099
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