I read a blog post last week that really touched me. Under His Construction wrote about talking to others about our children – “venting” about the struggles of our children to others. I had the opportunity to present the devotion at co-op this week and the Lord very clearly put this topic on my mind. Here are notes from the devotion.

Leviticus 19:16

Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.

Proverbs 11:13

A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

Proverbs 20:19

A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

1 Timothy 3:11

Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.

Proverbs 16:28

A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends.

Proverbs 17:9

He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.

Proverbs 18:8

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.

Proverbs 26:20

Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.

Leviticus 19:16

Thou shall not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people:

2 Thessalonians 3:11

For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.

1) We are clearly warned against gossip/slander/talebearing. Usually, we tend to think about this in terms of talking about friends or acquaintances. We might even consider that we shouldn’t speak about our husbands poorly. But, how often do we put this in terms of speaking about our own children?

2) How many times have we found ourselves “venting” about our children to others? How many times have we “asked advice” about a particular problem with our child to anyone who will listen? How many times have we told a tale about them in front of others, only to see their mortified face afterward? How many times have we been so frustrated that we let spill out our frustrations on the phone to a friend, only to have them listening in the other room?

3) I truly believe there’s a difference in asking advice from a “mentor” about an issue with a child and just openly complaining about the child. I believe there needs to be one or two close friends or “older women” that you can go to when you need godly counsel. But beyond those couple of people, spilling our child’s struggles to anyone who will listen can only be classified in my mind as gossip about our children. Even still, I believe what we share with close friends or mentors needs to be guarded carefully. Carefully in the way that we are really seeking counsel and not just venting, and careful in the way that we don’t speak about our children so that they can hear us.

4) When thinking about close friends or mentors, I feel like it’s very important to really know the person with whom we’re talking. Will they possibly continue the gossip? Will they give us godly advice and not just help us to continue the cycle of complaining?

5) What we expect from our children is most often what our children live up to. Our expectations are not always spoken to them. Unspoken expectations are read from things like our attitudes, facial expressions and what they overhear us saying about them. When we talk about them to others, what they hear from our mouths becomes a form of the “expectation” they relate to themselves. Even if they don’t hear us talking about them, children most often know that we have been. Don’t be fooled into thinking that they don’t know what we’ve said – even little bitty ones.

6) And what happens when they overhear us talking about them? Besides the expectation they start to internalize, what else happens? Bitterness, anger, dejection, hurt feelings, thoughts that they can’t possibly be good enough, thoughts that they are causing all the strife in our houses, withdrawl, sibling rivalry….????

7) Go back and reread 2 Thess 3:11. When we talk, talk, talk – even in the name of “I’m getting advice from a mentor” often gets us nowhere. Actually getting to work on the “issues” we have with our children is what will really make a difference.

So, what to do? Practice building our children up to others. Not only will it reap positive results if our children overhear us, but it’s likely to paint a better picture in our own minds of our children. The problems may no longer seem so bad. Ken Ham always says how you see things depends on the glasses you’re wearing. This holds true with our children as well. Looking at them from dark and negative glasses will hide all their wonderful qualities and keep us focused on the bad that needs to be fixed. Putting on positive glasses will help us to focus on their good qualities, in turn, the bad qualities are likely to be pushed out as the good qualities keep growing.

May you be blessed as you strive to uplift your children and train them to wholeheartedly follow their God and Savior. May we always be mindful of the nudging and teaching of our Lord as He shows us the way in His Word.