Gossip
Is there anyone who has not been hurt in some way by the maliciousness of gossip?
For some, it's only an inconvenience. For others, it has carved deep wounds that lead to struggles with depression and mistrust.
Most of us have seen how gossip and slander have divided churches. Ask anyone in ministry about the destruction caused by gossip and you will likely hear them open up with battle stories that would make your skin crawl.
I also believe the majority of us have seen destruction in our own extended families where the enemy's entry point was the fear, distrust, and outright paranoia sown by gossip.
If I polled Christians, I'm guessing that 100% would agree with the statement "Gossip is malicious, wrong, and a sin."
Why, then, do we tolerate it in our churches and families?
Fear, mostly. We are afraid to stand up to gossips and bullies. We tell ourselves that by not participating we're "above" it when, in fact, we're right there in it, too.
It is not enough to be disgusted by gossip and refuse to participate. When we hear someone else beating up another verbally, we are commanded to intervene.
There's an ancient Greek phrase attributed to Euripides: "Your very silence shows you agree." When we are silent when those around around us are gossiping, we are complicit in their sin. We condone it. We accept it. We encourage it.
James wrote of it in his epistle like this:
For some, it's only an inconvenience. For others, it has carved deep wounds that lead to struggles with depression and mistrust.
Most of us have seen how gossip and slander have divided churches. Ask anyone in ministry about the destruction caused by gossip and you will likely hear them open up with battle stories that would make your skin crawl.
I also believe the majority of us have seen destruction in our own extended families where the enemy's entry point was the fear, distrust, and outright paranoia sown by gossip.
If I polled Christians, I'm guessing that 100% would agree with the statement "Gossip is malicious, wrong, and a sin."
Why, then, do we tolerate it in our churches and families?
Fear, mostly. We are afraid to stand up to gossips and bullies. We tell ourselves that by not participating we're "above" it when, in fact, we're right there in it, too.
It is not enough to be disgusted by gossip and refuse to participate. When we hear someone else beating up another verbally, we are commanded to intervene.
There's an ancient Greek phrase attributed to Euripides: "Your very silence shows you agree." When we are silent when those around around us are gossiping, we are complicit in their sin. We condone it. We accept it. We encourage it.
James wrote of it in his epistle like this:
"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)It's impossible to parse that as anything other than a commandment to stand up, be bold, and intervene when malicious words are spoken behind others' backs.
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