Everyone has personal things going on that they’d rather keep private: health challenges, relationship issues, parenting issues, spiritual issues, and financial problems are some of the common ones. These things are only shared with a few people.
Sometimes in life, we share our issues with a close friend or confidant. There is a trust that once you share your issue, it will enter into their ears but never leave their lips.
Sometimes in life, we become the human vault for someone else’s secret information. What an awesome responsibility and privilege to guard the privacy of another person.
I grew up in a broken home with divorced parents and two older sisters. My life was full of people betraying the trust of others, and they’d always dump privileged information on me starting with these phrases:
“Don’t tell anyone I told you this, but…”
“You have to promise not to tell anyone…”
“This is just between me and you, but…”
It didn’t take me long to realize that nobody could keep a secret, so I didn’t share my own personal issues with anyone. I also decided that I was going to be a human vault for anyone’s secrets, you’d have to torture them out of me, was my thinking.
I got so tired of hearing gossip that I eventually called it out with a few family members:
“You’re telling me someone else’s secrets, so how can I be sure that you’re not sharing everything I say privately with everyone else, too?”
Friend, are you a vault of privileged information? Christian’s can be guilty of spreading gossip and revealing secrets…and it’s often wrapped in this opening line…
“I’m only telling you this so you know how to pray for so and so…”
Relationships are built on trust and confidence…and one thing I’ve always remembered is this:
“Loose lips sink relationships.
Tight lips keep right relationships.”
dailyarmor.blog 
Thank you for addressing this valuable truth Eric. People of integrity are rare nowadays which makes it wise to say little, except with our Father God – He is the best vault of our hearts treasures. God bless you today brother 🙏
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You are right, God is a vault who never reveals our secrets, but receives them perfectly and helps us work through them.
May the Lord bless you today, brother Alan!
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So true! My favorite is when a friend or relative tells me something, and then AFTER they finish the conversation they say, “Keep this between you and me.” Well, I did not agree to that in the beginning. You gave me an obligation without my consent.
I just quit my job, literally two days ago, because of all the gossiping and the toxic environment. I wish more people would respect the human vault and not betray each other’s trust.
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Wow! Sorry to hear about your job Heather, I know that it has been stressful for a while now…trusting God to direct you to a better one!
Yes sometimes people lay out that obligation at the beginning, tempting us to say “okay” just to hear their juicy gossip, and sometimes it’s at the end of their tales, holding their dishonesty over your head…demanding that YOU keep the secrets that THEY refused to keep…what a mess! Glad I don’t have to deal with much of that anymore.
Praying for you Heather, have a blessed day!
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Thank you for your prayers!
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I’m praying for you too Heather! And nicely done being a person of integrity even though it cost you! God must have something much better in store!
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Your post reminds of the story of the bucket of crabs.🦀 The fisherman keeps them in there by putting in a flat piece of wood—so they can climb out. However, every time a crab trys to go up the stick, one of the other crabs pulls him back down into the bucket. This is how many of us are with each other. We don’t mind failing, just so long as the other guy does too.
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Never thought of it like that, but I suppose you’re right. There’s something about gossip that demands participation in order to fuel justification for sharing. I think it feeds of the fleshly desire to have control over people by knowing secret things about them.
Gossip is a power play. The crabs maintain power and control by keeping each other captive.
Then their peer pressure campaign ends up getting them all in trouble…they get dead. But they’re delicious, so there is THAT. 😆🤣
God bless brother David!
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“But they’re delicious, so there is that!” Love your style and humor!
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I like being the person who is like Las Vegas, what happens here stays here!
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