Positive Daily Inspiration – March 11, 2024 – Ending Gossip – Spiritual Exercise

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“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
Exodus 20:16

THE TRIPLE FILTER – In ancient Greece (469 – 399 BC), Socrates was well known for his wisdom.

One day, the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who said excitedly, “Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?”

“Wait a moment,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”

“Triple filter?”

“That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my student, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“No,” the man said, “actually, I just heard about it and … “

“All right,” said Socrates. “So, you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?”

“No, on the contrary … “

“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really.”

“Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

As spiritual people we must use our every word to encourage and not to destroy. When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.

Proverbs 11: 9;13 – “With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape … A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”

Gossip is addictive. But it says more about the speaker, than it does about the one being spoken about.

Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”

Gossip is like sugar, addictive to the lowest parts of us, and not good for us, especially in high doses.

Proverbs 12:6 – “The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.”.

Truth in words, especially behind a person’s back, spiritually uplifts the speaker, and the one spoken about. It is an absolute necessity in spirituality.

Proverbs 20:19 – “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.”

Avoid gossip, at all cost, walk away from it, and close your ears.

Proverbs 22:11 – “He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.”

Proverbs 23:15-16 – “My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.”

What passes over your lips each day? Are your words typically negative, critical, gossiping, deceptive, illusory, justifying, blaming, manipulative and argumentative?

Are they more uplifting, inspirational, positive, questioning, beautiful, loving, universal, truthful, accepting and supportive?

The throat is our center of expression. Who we are sneaks out in our attitudes and in what we say.

“Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs.” — Pearl Strachan Hurd

As the Bible states, “The wise weigh their words on a scale with gold.”

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POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

Dear God, this is my moment, this is my time.
I make a commitment with You, to use my words to speak truth and only truth.
I will speak only about what I know to be true with firsthand knowledge.
I will speak only to promote goodness and usefulness.

In Jesus Christ’s name … Amen

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION:

My mouth is the voice of truth.

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE:

“If you wish to know the mind of a man, listen to his words.”
Chinese Proverb

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