Another basic concept – sin creates spiritual blindness. Let me illustrate with my favorite sin to talk about… GOSSIP. I’ll stop right here and make sure you know how I define gossip. Before you tell someone a story about another person (even disguised as a prayer request), it needs to pass all three of these tests:
1 – Is it 100% the truth? That means you heard it or saw it yourself. If someone told you this story, it fails the first test.
2 – Would you tell it to the person the story is about? Most of us have looked around before telling a really juicy bit of gossip. Well, at least preachers do!
3 – Would this story edify the person it is about? If you are sharing good news that the person told you and it leads to praising God for the blessing he or she received – SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOP! If the story is not able to pass any of these tests – don’t you dare repeat it.