Darlene Zschech tweeted today, "Its always best to pray for one another rather than criticising.. PLEASE,lets be found lifting people rather than in the gutter of gossip".
I agree, gossipers, those always pretending to be 'in the know all', do dwell in a gutter... while they break trust of people around and murder people's character they gossip about.When we gossip we are judging others, and God clearly tells us in the Bible that judging others isn't our job. Its His.- Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” When we gossip we are trying to prove ourselves better... we are trying to exalt ourselves while we make others look bad. When we gossip we are talking about others fault and failings and even when we mean no harm it still is a gossip. The Bible is against it! Romans 1:29-32 clearly states that gossip is a sin and those involve in it are under God's wrath. I like to take Bible as my mirror... i like to, at least i'm trying to, live my life in the ways the Bible teaches us to.So i went back to the Bible to find out what it says about gossip.....
What does the Bible say about gossip?
The Bible clearly commands us to do more than gossip!
Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”
Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”
Proverbs 26:20 – “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”
Leviticus 19:16 – “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.”
1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.”
I know how embarrassed and awful i feel when i'm a victim of gossip... i've hurt, i've cried myself to sleep many times when i feel betrayed by those gossipers... those i thought i could trust. yes, i know the pain of being gossiped about...
So what do we do about gossip?
When we are faced with gossip, we check out for facts... and go to the person... rather than participating in gossip. Deuteronomy 13:14 – “Then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.”
But as for me, i rather do what
Proverbs 16:28 says – “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man (woman) who talks too much.” So avoid!Its always easier said than done but i like what the Bible says in Matthew 7:12 – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
let it end with you... with me.
We don't want people to gossip about us, then we better not participate in a gossip. And like DZ said, lets be lifting up one another in prayer rather than criticising... rather than dwelling in the reeking gutter if gossip.
