Baleen and Gossiping

Baleen plates in Baleen whales

The 7th graders and I discussed two groups of whales one day this week, most specifically baleen whales. We also had a big 'ole talk about gossiping, and I'm very proud of a few of them who are sincerely trying to make a change in their spreading of rumors. I hope that the few things we learned and how they apply to God's Word will encourage you.

Baleen whales have a unique feature: baleen. Baleen is sometimes referred to as whalebone, but it looks like combs covering the mouth. The purpose is to siphon food from the water the whales inhale. Whales eat pretty much anything that swims in their way since they are so overwhelmingly huge. (They are already 3 tons when they are born, and will grow to 25 tons the following year!)

I don't know about you, but I'm constantly having to "filter" out the bad and consider what needs to be kept as good in my line of work as a teacher. Daily, several times a day, I beg God to seal my mouth when I need to just shut up and listen. However, that depends a LOT on what I decide to "keep" when listening. It's all relative.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 14:7, "Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge." We are supposed to walk with God enough to have discernment when we hear someone who is not wise, and then to get out of their fellowship. But if we aren't in His Word, we won't have that discernment.

Have you ever been around someone who is constantly negative? Or maybe someone who always has unkind things to say about EVERYTHING? It can be so exhausting, can't it! Get away from them. Do the opposite--surround yourself with people who are positive and who uplift your soul instead of weighing you down. It is my job to protect what may come out of my mouth later by protecting NOW what I'm hearing. The only way to do that SUCCESSFULLY is to be immersed in God's Word.

Proverbs 16:28 says, "A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends." Gossiping and a critical spirit can damage the immediate for the hearer but also incur severe loss of a happy soul down the road, including friendships.
Ask yourself: "Do I avoid those who are critical?" I know that I want my friends to have a comrad who will keep their secrets, fill their ears with positive, encouraging words, and give them food to keep--not junk that has to be filtered.

In the last day I have had 3 friends receive very difficult news in 3 different circumstances. In each case, they are people who use the baleen in the Christian life and  choose to surround themselves with positive people, and I think that it has made all the difference in how they have handled their life-altering revelations. I really do. I'm amazed at their testimonies of endurance, and I have utmost admiration for their lives that give God all the glory no matter what. It doesn't happen by accident. We have to guard our ears from hearing things that our spirit is telling us will encumber us.
Have a blessed day!