Avoid Gossip

Avoid Gossip

"Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right."
Proverbs 8:6

In this devotional I would like to expound a little more about the sin of gossiping. In Romans Chapter 1 verses 29-31, the Bible gives us one of the longest lists of sins, and the sin of gossip appears in the middle of this list. As mentioned in the previous devotional, the early church thought that gossip was one sin that a Christian could not condone, much less keep passing around to others, that they would even ban a member for gossiping. It is obvious that God hates gossip, but gossip is a sin that seems to have little effect on people today, as there is hardly a phone conversation, or a meeting where somebody isn't telling something they heard about somebody else. Sadly, gossip is practiced so freely, that Christians try to justify their gossip as simply concern for others. But the real fact is that hearsay or gossip has no place in a Christian's life, as even a tiny bit of gossip that is true or not true, and is passed around can damage and destroy the reputation, and even the life of someone. Hurt feelings, may not be the only negative effect, as jobs and even relationships can easily be destroyed by spreading gossip. Gossip achieves no good in anyone's life, which is why the Lord warns against it. For a Christian who spreads rumors and gossip, there's potential for even worse damage, in that when you spread things that could harm someone you are also hurting God. Instead of spreading gossip God wants your words to build others up, to encourage them, and to comfort them. Instead of using words that injure others, choose to speak well of everyone.