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A Little Gossip Goes A Long Way
By Pastor Wes | January 16, 2009
We’ve all been there—on one side of the grapevine or the other; either listening to gossip, repeating it, or being the object of a whispered, juicy bit of news. The thing is, gossip is very subtle, it will sneak up on you when you least expect it. The most innocent conversation can take a U-turn and suddenly one person will express “concern” for another and feels he or she must share a bit of confidential information—all in the interest of prayer of course. Before you know it that whispered detail hops on that grapevine express and takes off to places unknown.
Gossip also may be in the form of an offhand comment about someone, but many times it’s giving away too much personal information about another’s life—and it’s always about someone not present!
Walk into any church, move silently around and eavesdrop on a few conversations, and you’ll likely discover gossip is a major problem in the Body of Christ. This ought not be so. According to the Word, God takes gossip very seriously. In Romans 1:28-32, He lumps whisperers and backbiters right in there with murderers, sexual perversion and haters of God. Wow! That’s some bad company to keep!
Words Are Nuclear!
I know there are times when we may feel we need to “vent” to someone in order to get a clear perspective on a situation. But be sure you know that person’s character before you open your mouth and reveal personal details about your life. Proverbs 11:13 says, “A talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter” (New King James Version). A friend who will hold confidential information and not have to tell at least one other person is a rare find. If you’re not careful about who you tell, before you know it, your story will be retold to “just one person” so many times that it becomes blown out of proportion beyond recognition. Words can be nuclear! Gossip stirs up strife, destroys reputations and rips relationships apart.
In other words, gossip and wrong words hurt people. Did you know that one negative word about an individual will taint the hearer’s perspective of that person? Proverbs 18:8 tells us, “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly” (King James Version).
On the other hand, James 3 tells us if we can control the tongue, we can be perfect. Imagine that! Folks, the grapevine has to stop somewhere. Proverbs 26:20 says, “Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases” (NKJV). The heart of the Lord is love. Let’s do what Jesus said and love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them (see Matthew 5:44).
And, let’s talk of the goodness of God and rejoice and praise Him for the wondrous things He’s done! Let’s not be part of the problem, but part of the solution. We can cut that grapevine off at the root! When we do, we’ll discover “how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1, KJV).
Topics: Servant Articles |
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