Gossip: April 30, 2013

Today's Word for Tuesday APRIL 30, 2013.

GOSSIP

DEFINITION:

A rumor; revealing personal or sensational facts about others; trifling talk about other people; an idle talker; discussing other peoples affairs.

SCRIPTURE:

A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and an arrow. Proverbs 25:18.

A perverse man stirs up dissension and a gossip separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Gossip defined is the act of someone sharing with another party information about a third party that is most often just a rumor that is not true or at least stretching the truth. Most certainly it is not complimentary to the third party and is most often very hurtful. People accept gossip as true without knowing the facts. In addition as gossip is passed from one person to another, it gets embellished.

Our sinful nature causes us to relish juicy tidbits of gossip. We love to hear about someone's rumored indiscretion and we can't wait to tell others. The most prevalent place for gossip is in the work place. In fact it has gotten so bad that now a person can get fired for gossiping in certain workplaces. According to a recent poll, the average employee gossips 65 hours a year. Notice that this includes all employees --- that is over ¾ of an hour each and every week if someone works 50 weeks a year.

There are some work places that take corrective approaches to gossip. They range from firing the one that gossips to a group in the entertainment industry that takes the time to pray for a person who is making bad choices rather than spreading the facts or rumors to more people.

Gossip is not only a problem among adults. Children, especially teenagers, are quick to spread rumors. Gossip spreads fast on the high school campus, especially in this day and age when so many teenagers have cell phones.

There is no place in the life of a believer for gossip. As believers it is clear what God wants from us concerning gossiping. Exodus 20:16 reads, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." This is one of the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses. False witnessing is lying. God commands us not to tell lies. That is quite clear and simple to understand. Spreading lies and rumors by gossiping can readily become vicious. Proverbs 25:18 states that using untruths against another person is like using a club, a sword or a sharp arrow on them.  

Clubs, swords and sharp arrows are weapons that cause great pain and harm. Like a weapon, gossip causes pain and does great harm to the victim. Most people would never hurt someone by using a weapon upon them, yet they will spread hurtful gossip without hesitation.  The writer of Proverbs 16:28 tells us that gossip is harmful because it stirs up dissension and separates close friends.

Friends should be able to trust each other. A gossip certainly cannot be trusted. It is difficult to be friends with someone you can’t trust.

Unfortunately, we have heard many people gossip in church. Of all places this is a place that should not be a place for gossip. Gossip feeds into our natural desires to feel superior to others and to belong or fit in with the crowd. If you choose to love others and be concerned about others you will live in a gossip free zone. You can never justify gossip. It is better to pray for someone. If you are praying for a person you will find it difficult to gossip about them.

LEARNING :

Our memory verse for this week is found in James 4:17.

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

PRAYER:

Lord, forgive me for speaking carelessly about others to make myself look better. Help me to think before I speak and show a Christ-like love to all by speaking kindly about them. Teach me to be loving in my words and to shun gossip.