Sharing Thoughts

Pick carefully to whom we share our thoughts.
It is good to carefully choose those with whom we share our most personal thoughts.

Not only because of Delilahs who may use the information against us. (Judges 16)

Or because of talebearers who blab our thoughts to the world:
“He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.” (Proverbs 11:13- KJV)
The NIV says it even more pointedly: “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”

There are also many scriptural examples of being given bad advice by those with whom we share our problems:
“The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26)
The best example of this is Amnon and his friend Jonadab. Jonadab was a good friend in that he noticed when Amnon was depressed, but he was not a person with whom you shared your secrets! He gave VERY bad advice!
“But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?"
Then Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."
Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.' " (2 Samuel 13)
..as I said, very bad advice - but it was exactly what Amnon wanted to hear!
It is GOOD to share..
Once we have someone with whom we share our inner most thoughts we realize how good it is to get those thoughts out!

Sometimes our darkest and most disturbing thoughts can fester and grow in strange ways in our minds.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)

Sometimes once the thoughts are spoken one can look at them from a new perspective.

Christ was very good at not only listening to people but also putting a new perspective on what they were thinking.

By sharing our thoughts we may also find that we are not alone.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13)

The verse speaks of temptations but the same is true for trials, or problems. It is surprising sometimes to find out how many share the same feelings and thoughts.

But even if the people with whom we are sharing our thoughts have never had the same experiences or thoughts, they might just give much needed encouragement and support that we may not even realize that we needed. “And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.” (1 Sam 23:16)

It is humbling..
Sharing ones true thoughts can be very humbling. We may not want people to know exactly what is going on in our minds, or we may actually be proud of the fact that we are so different from others that “no one” will be able to understand (like Elijah felt in 1 Kings 19:9-18).

But it is important to let go and speak. For even though it is not good to share all our thoughts with everyone, it is also not good to keep them all inside our heads.