Teen comedies that focus on high school drama are a popular movie genre with teenage girls. A plot device commonly used in these types of movies is using a conniving and spiteful character to reveal a secret or tell a lie in order to harm one of the main characters, which leads to either a hilarious or heartbreaking outcome.
While it is entertaining to watch the drama that divulges the secrets and betrayals revealed in teen movies, we certainly do not want to have this type of commotion unfold throughout our day in reality. We should take care in avoiding those who would bring that kind of grief into our lives and take care not to do the same to others. The Bible calls people who act in this way a talebearer, and it is vital for us to be able to recognize these people in order to distance ourselves from the negativity they spread.
The book of Leviticus is known for laying down principles and laws for the children of Israel to live by. In Leviticus 19:16, the first part of the verse states, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people.” After reading this verse, it is important to understand the exact attributes of a talebearer.
Proverbs 18:8 says, “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” According to this verse, a talebearer’s intentions are to harm someone with the words they use, whether the stories they tell are true or fabricated. This is an important aspect of a talebearer since this verse is also repeated in Proverbs 26:22. People can be very vengeful and stubborn creatures, and spreading rumors or false information can be a way to get payback or to get what we want.
Talebearers are also not afraid to reveal secrets in order to cause problems. Proverbs 11:13 warns “A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” People can often pinpoint that certain friend who always spreads any rumor or news that they hear; therefore, we avoid telling them anything. Talebearers are worse than gossips in that they use the secrets they find as a way to make the person they are targeting hurt the most.
Another aspect of a talebearer is to cause strife or contention between people. Proverbs 26:20 states, “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.” While there is no good reason to cause contention with our peers, some people try to start an argument for the sake of it. They thrive off of controversy, making life harder for those around them. When we finally notice who the talebearer around us is, it is easier to live a peaceful life when we avoid them.
An example of talebearers in the Bible would be two men in the book of Nehemiah. During this time, Nehemiah was trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem but faced opposition from Sanballat and Tobiah. In chapter 6, they fabricated a lie about Nehemiah and the Jews saying that they would rebel against the king, but he wisely stayed away from them and their false claims. When that failed, they tried to trick him into sin in order to have evidence of his wrongdoings. Since Nehemiah was a good man, this report would discredit him and halt the building of the wall. Thankfully, Nehemiah was able to discern this trick as well and was able to finish building the wall in a short amount of time.
Just like Nehemiah, we need to be able to discern what is good and true from what is false and deceitful. The Bible reminds us not to believe everyone that comes our way, but to test whether their intentions and words should be trusted or not (1 John 4:1). Although some people may not be the best judges of character, we can always ask God to give us wisdom in these situations (James 1:5). Once we know what to look for, it is not that hard to recognize talebearers as we walk throughout our lives.
Once we are able to identify someone as a talebearer, we need to know how to respond to them. Proverbs 20:19 tells us that talebearers are not to be trusted and to keep away from them. The more you distance yourself from them, the less power they have as seen in Nehemiah. We are also told in Proverbs 2:20 that we need to walk on the path of righteousness. If we do that, it will be harder for talebearers to spread any unseemly rumors that will be believed.
We know that we need to live righteously, but because of our pride and anger, we can be tempted into harming others with the words we say. It is important at these times to remember the verses Matthew 5:39 and Luke 6:31. These verses state respectively to turn the other cheek and to treat others as we would want to be treated. Although our human nature instinctively goes against this, we must rely on the Lord to handle our problems and not take care of ourselves.
Talebearers are not easy to deal with, but once you know how to handle them effectively, it will make life a little easier. We just need to remember what God has stated for us to do in the Bible and continue to live and trust in Him.
