Gossipers

With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor,but through knowledge the righteous escape.When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

Proverbs 11:9-11 (NIV)

Our topic today is gossip. Gossipers are dealers in scandal. They are busybodies. There’s an old country proverb that says, “Tale-bearers should be hung up by the tongue and tale-hearers by the ears.” Well, that would fix ’em, wouldn’t it—or would it? I think we should ask ourselves, Why? Why do we sometimes slander and gossip even though we know it’s ugly? We hate it when others do it to us, don’t we?

Well, the truth is, gossip is not just a matter of the tongue. Actually, it is a matter of the heart. “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34, NKJV). Jerry Bridges wrote a book with the provocative title Respectable Sins. He says, “Indulging in gossip seems to feed our sinful ego, especially when the information is negative. It makes us feel self-righteous by comparison.” I think he hits a chord there. Ouch!

Our proverb today says, “Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted.” So true, but it’s not just a city. It’s a home, a ministry, or a group of friends that’s exalted. Ladies, what do you think? Wouldn’t it be great if today the only thing we said about or to anyone was a blessing? I think it would be great.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

It’s been said, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”

Have you been the victim of gossip? It can get to you. You can’t really defend your reputation because the damage is already done. In Psalm 57:1, David expressed his hope and survival technique in times like that: “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed” (NIV). Will you make his words your own? In the shelter of God, your soul will find peace.

One Year Bible Reading

Numbers 21:1–22:20; Luke 1:26-56; Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 11:9-11