A lot of times when people travel, they like to utilize the safe in their hotel room or cruise cabin. Protecting valuables in a locked safe ensures their items will not be stolen or damaged. We put things in a safe or a vault, in order to protect them and, well, keep them safe. (Play on words, I know).
When someone shares something private with me, I want them to trust their secrets/concerns and heartaches in my presence. I want them to know I am a vault. Whatever they tell me stays with me. I only share it with God in my prayers. It is so important our family and friends know they can trust us to be a vault, not a faucet.
A vault locks things inside, where a faucet gushes them, out. I want to be a vault, not a faucet. And when I tell something to my trusted friends, I know they will protect my secrets in a vault, not a faucet. My sister-friends honor me with their trust. I have learned the hard way not to share with just anyone. Sometimes even when we have known someone for a long time, we mistake time with confidence. This is not always a smart idea. Just because we have known someone for the bulk of our life does not mean we can trust them. We have to be guarded with what and how much we share and with whom.
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.” - Psalm 118:8 (NLT)
One of the beautiful gifts when we pour our hearts out to God is our troubles are safe with Him. He is our vault. I very much believe we still need a couple of trusted friends to whom we can turn when we need love and Godly wise counsel. When we decide to share with people, we need to be wise and share with trusted, Jesus loving friends who will be a vault, not a faucet.
It is usually a lesson learned the hard way (I have been there and done that) when we trust the wrong people. But when The Holy Spirit nudges us and gives us feelings about people, trust those nudges. If you suspect you could not trust someone with confidential, private information, do not overshare with them. Not everyone should be allowed to have a front row seat or backstage pass to your life. In fact, some of them should not even be allowed access to the building.
We need to take this same advice and apply it to ourselves. When someone shares with us, we need to be a vault for them, not a gushing faucet. Protect their words. Protect their heartache. Lift them up and pray with them. Sit with them.
When we sit with our friends and loved ones who share with us, we need to protect their words. Keep them locked up in a vault with the only words repeated being your prayers to Papa.
Let’s be vaults, not faucets.