Some Brothers Do Have Them

3rd in a series based on 3 John

“It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness…”

3 John 3 (NIV) 

You’ve probably heard that, if you have nothing good to say about someone else, then say nothing. If only we followed that advice! Let’s face it: it’s more fun to repeat a tale, perhaps to embellish a passing event into a major drama. But what is the responsible and loving thing to do?

Here, in this passage, John writes about how exciting it was to hear nice things about his friend, Gaius. “It gave me great joy”, he remarked. The question has to be asked: do we get more joy out of hearing good stories or more joy out of listening to and spreading gossip?

Note that the brothers (that is, other believers) passed on positive comments about Gaius. They told of his faithfulness. They had something good to say, and they said it.

In our mixed up world, bad news is often more interesting than good. We have a choice when it comes to what we say about others. Is your mind tuned into recognising something uplifting when you hear it or see it? Do you have good stories about others? Some brothers – and sisters – do have them, and they let them be known.

Tell the good stories. Spread the joy.

Prayer
Father, help me say good things about others, and not to focus on gossip.  In Jesus’ name.
Amen

Study by James Henderson