Guilt and Gossip

I didn't post yesterday, in part I think because of guilt...I inadvertantly let something slip to a friend Monday evening on the phone. The something that slipped I had known for a couple of months, and in fact involved a third party. I had no right to share what I did -- I didn't do it with malice intent, nor did I share with the purpose of wanting to gossip; yet gossip I did. While the "leaked" information was not told with malice, it certainly isn't a report that is uplifting about the third person. Furthermore it caused my friend to lose trust in the third person.
I apoligized to the friend, I don't have contact with the third person to apoligize to, but I hope the feelings of guilt in my heart can be removed now that I bring it before God.
Guilt is a strange thing -- it can act as a barrier to coming before God, and once we stop in coming before God, the guilt piles on, and we stay away from God even more so.
Gossip is such a dangerous trap -- gossip in the sense of non malice and gossip with malice intent. I need to pray for better control of my tongue and need to more closely guard what I know. What's ironic is just a weekend ago I was faced with the issue of stopping gossip despite being curious. At the Camp I was a counselor at, two students were discussing a teacher's dismissal from their High School (the same one I had attended, so I knew the teacher). There was a part of me that wanted to know the specifics, but at the same time other students were there and I knew that what would transpire would be gossip and so I called a halt to the discussion.
At the time I came away thankful that I had stepped in, despite my flesh wanting to know. Now, this week I have to admit defeat in the area of gossip, and realize that I need to hold all thoughts captive before God - SO, that is my prayer for the rest of the week.