"To speak ill upon knowledge shows a want of charity; to speak ill upon suspicion shows a want of honesty," Arthur Warwick once noted. Control of our words and the passing on of stories and tales is a problem we all face. It is often called gossip.

There is a right time to reveal a deed and a right time to cover it. Evil that will lead to more evil needs to be stopped. But a slip that a person makes and regrets may need to be covered (1 Peter 4:8). It is a matter of judgment. The Bible tells us that a prudent man conceals knowledge, but a fool proclaims foolishness (Proverbs 12:23). Check your facts, check your heart, and speak no ill that hurts.