Have you heard the one about the three members of the clergy who were starting an accountability group? They decided to pray for each other over their greatest temptations. The first pastor said that although his denomination teaches abstaining from alcohol, he is concerned he may be becoming an alcoholic. The second pastor said that he has a problem with gambling and has stolen church funds to pay off gambling debts. When they turned to the third pastor, he confessed his biggest sin was gossip.
Have you heard the phrase, spilling the tea? This is another expression for gossiping. You may find out some embarrassing information, so you tell it in such a way as to make someone else look bad and make yourself look good. Is this an activity to enjoy or to avoid?
Do you know someone who likes to gossip? The Bible describes such activity as a sin. 1 Timothy 5:13 says, "They learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not." Proverbs 20:19 warns us not to associate with gossipers. It says, "Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore, do not associate with a simple babbler."
You may have heard that Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, wrote an article titled "The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans." Thankfully, he wrote about this after the fact. He was mistakenly included in a private messaging group. Instead of confidentially informing the United States government about his inadvertent inclusion in the conversation, he saved the information to embarrass the current administration.
So far, this is being treated as an honest mistake, and lessons are being learned about being more careful in the future. We would not know this happened if this editor did not use the incident to score political points. Many people are disinterested in politics because of constant personal attacks and lawfare against political opponents. Many accusations are later proved to be false. Not all gossip is true, but it is still gossip.
What would you do if you overheard a conversation or were accidentally included in a text message? Would you disclose the information to defame or embarrass someone? Perhaps there are different standards for biased journalists. People may enjoy reading opinion pieces and celebrity gossip but be less interested in straightforward news.
Is it acceptable to gossip about celebrities? Occasionally, a famous person may experience a significant moral failure. When this arises in conversation at church, more mature Christians encourage prayer for that celebrity. These individuals hold value in God's eyes just like anyone else.
We must be cautious about using the prayer request format as an opportunity to spread gossip. Have you ever heard anyone do this? It's an easy trap, especially when it involves someone we know and their situation piques our interest. We might share too many details, leading to embarrassment while trying to help.
Proverbs 18:7-8 (CSB) says, "A fool's mouth is his devastation, and his lips are a trap for his life. A gossip's words are like choice food that goes down to one's innermost being."
How can we avoid gossip? An online article on gossip from www.gotquestions.org provides the following suggestion:
"Those who guard their 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. May we all follow the Bible's teaching on gossip by keeping our mouths shut unless it is necessary and appropriate to speak."
Everyone makes mistakes, and some are more costly than others. We must resist the temptation to highlight others' failures to make ourselves look better. Over time, the person who gossips will be excluded from social interactions as people come to realize he or she cannot be trusted.
Shawn Wasson, D.Min., is the pastor of Bethany Baptist Church.
Comments
Post a Comment