How many times have you said something false about someone else? That’s a harsh question, isn’t it? Do you think you can remember them all? Do you even think you know every time you have said something false against someone else? How sure are you?
All have said something false about someone else. A significant amount of the time we know we have. In fact, we likely said it on purpose. It may have been out of anger. I may have been said out of hurt. It may have been said to appease our peers.
Unfortunately, there are also times in which we said something false about someone without knowing it. We might wonder how this happens. It’s quite simple. It happens when we repeat something we heard without verifying it. We may trust the person who told us. We may believe they know the truth. But without verifying it, we cannot know for sure.
How do we go about verifying what we heard? There are several ways. If possible, we can ask the subject person about what we heard. If that is not possible, we may be able to ask others who would have firsthand knowledge. However, if we cannot ascertain the truth, the best thing we can do is not repeat it.
If what we have heard is about a person we have no contact with, such as a corporate leader, political leader, or even a church leader, we have other avenues to pursue truth. We can search through credible news sources. We may even be able to request and receive information from the persons’ office.
The bottom line is simple, do not bear false witness against someone else. If we are unsure if it is true, do not repeat it. Otherwise, we are simply spreading rumors. We are gossiping. We are violating God’s commands. In other words, we are willfully sinning.
I pray we all choose to verify what we hear before passing it along. I pray we refuse to bear false witness against our neighbor. I pray each one of us choose to obey God’s commands. Verify what you hear. Stop spreading rumors. Stop gossiping. Do not bear false witness. Obey God’s commands.
Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Marty Pressey 