Loose Lips

Loose Lips

Samson’s Bride

Read: Judges 14:17-19

Catherine ducked behind the greeting card rack, almost turning it over. I have to get out of here without her seeing me, she thought in a panic. It was hard to believe that only a year ago, she and Brianna had been good friends. That changed one evening when Catherine had dinner with a few girlfriends and did a little too much talking. She hadn’t meant to, but the words just slipped out. Before she knew it, she had shared something that Brianna had told her in strictest confidence. Today, for the umpteenth time, Catherine wished that she could learn to control her mouth.

Samson’s new bride also betrayed a confidence, with much more serious consequences than Catherine experienced. After a few days of pleading and crying, she finally got Samson to explain the riddle he had posed during their wedding feast. She shared the information with the men who had threatened her, and Samson became enraged when the men knew the answer. He had told only one person, so he knew who had betrayed him. Although his bride acted to save the lives of her family, Samson’s explosive temper led him to kill and rob thirty of her countrymen in order to pay the wager.

Many people have a hard time keeping secrets. In the heat of a conversation, it’s all too easy to share personal information about others that they would prefer to keep private. Careless words can have consequences ranging from feelings of discomfort to ruined reputations and broken relationships. True friendship revolves around the trust that we are safe with another person and don’t have to worry about how much they know about us. Our mouths can cause great damage, whether we’re accidentally betraying a confidence or sharing our own secrets with someone who can’t be trusted.

A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

Proverbs 11:13