He Said / She Said
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Proverbs 22:11 He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.
Gossip . . . It's one of the top things the world revolves around. People feeding off of negative comments or someone's misfortune, an assumption from a first impression or whatever the case may be.
Personally, I can't stand it, but I admit, it is easy to get caught up in it.
I remember my Mom saying, "If you don't have nothing nice to say . . . don't say nothing at all" . . . Good thing to keep in mind.
Just listening to it (Gossip) . . literally makes me sick . . . and listening is just as bad as telling. So I did some research into what the bible says about gossip and found the below answers from: gotquestions.org
I will keep it handy and try to reference it often . . . for times when I might get "caught up' in the moment. Hope it's helpful for you too . . .
This is what the bible says about gossip:
The Hebrew word translated "gossip" in the Old Testament is defined as one who reveals secrets going about as a talebearer or scandal-monger. This is one who has gotten out of people secrets about themselves and their families, and then goes about telling his tales from house to house, to the great detriment of those whose secrets he is entrusted with, as well as to those to whom he tells them, as well as to his own. Gossip is distinguished from sharing information by its intent. The gossip-monger has as his goal building himself up by making others look bad and by exalting his superior knowledge of others.
In the book of Romans, Paul reveals the sinful nature and lawlessness of mankind, stating how God was pouring out His wrath upon those who were rejecting His laws. Because they had turned away from God's instruction and guidance, He gave them over to their sinful natures. "They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:29b-32). We see from this passage how serious the sin of gossip is and that it characterizes those who are under God's wrath.
Another group who was and is commonly known for indulging in this sinful behavior is widows. Timothy cautions widows against entertaining the habit of gossip and of being idle. "Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 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" (1 Timothy 5:12-13). Because women tend to spend a lot of time in each other's homes or working closely with other women and getting involved in many people's lives, they hear and observe a variety of conversations or situations which have the potential to become distorted, if what they see is not kept private. Timothy stated that widows get into the habit of going from home to home, looking for something to occupy their idleness. Idle hands are the devil's workshop, and God cautions against allowing that sin to enter our lives. "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man [or woman] who talks too much" (Proverbs 20:19).
Women are certainly not the only ones who have been found guilty of this sin. Anyone can engage in the act of gossip simply by repeating something heard in confidence. The book of Proverbs has a long list of verses that cover the dangers of gossip and the potential hurt that results when care is not taken to think of others and how they might react if something they wanted kept private is revealed. "A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret" (Proverbs 11:12-13).
The Bible tells us that "a perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends" (Proverbs 16:28). Many a friendship has been ruined over a misunderstanding that started with gossip. Those who engage in this behavior do nothing but stir up trouble and cause anger and bitterness, not to mention hurt, among friends. Sadly, some people thrive on this and look for opportunities to destroy others. And when such people are confronted, they deny the allegations and answer with excuses and rationalizations. Rather than admit wrong, they blame someone or something else, or attempt to make it sound like the sin committed isn't so bad. "A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts" (Proverbs 18:7-8).
Those who guard their mouths and tongues keep themselves from calamity (Proverbs 21:23). So we must guard our tongues and refrain from the sinful act of gossip. If we surrender our natural desires to the Lord, He will help us to remain righteous. God rewards the just and the righteous, so we should all strive to remain as such.
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Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
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Julie McCallum, Senior Staff |
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