Why we must bridle our tongue?

Doctors are held in high esteem and patients can trust their personal and medical information with them without fear of it being repeated to anyone else (not even their spouses, friends, parents or employers)

Lawyers are also governed by similar set of ethical codes. In fact both doctors and lawyers could be suspended or even sued for breaching such ethical codes of their profession.

There are no such strict guidelines for maintaining confidentiality of information among friends and even religious leaders. How can we be assured that our friends, colleagues or even our religious leaders who provide counselling to their flocks maintain the same level of confidentiality when we share information with them?

Strictly speaking I have not heard of any law that cover this area of ethics with regards to confidentiality. However I do believe that the trust among friends, colleagues and even with our religious is sacred.

Under normal circumstances, true love and genuine concern for each other would be a good enough constraint to keep confidential and private the information we heard from friends or the people we care for. This trust has to be upheld because it is sacred to maintain the friendship and the trust with have with the leaders.

What does the bible say about this matter? It is stated very clearly that if a man claims to be religious and he shut not his mouth to keep secrets availed to him in private, his religion is in vain. This will definitely dishonour God.

A loose tongue that does not know how to keep secrets can set a fire, defile the whole body and create havoc to an organization (James 3:6)

What is friendship if friends could not even keep secrets out of love for each other? I would rather share my secrets with my enemy. At least I know I did not trust him rather from the start and I would be on my guard not to reveal anything more that what I want him to hear.

How scary it is when friends start to gossip about things and it returns back to your ears?

If you are troubled and have no one to turn to share your burdens you can definitely share it with my friend who is a Jew. His name is Jesus.

Unlike sinful man who can beguile you and lie to you, Jesus is always true and faithful. Call on Him and pour out your trouble and sorrow to Him. He will never fail you nor betray you because He has died for you. He is your true friend indeed!

• If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion [is] vain. James 1:26
•  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! James 3:5
• And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. James 3:6
•  But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:8
•  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 1Peter 3:10
• My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1John 3:18