The sin of gossip is everywhere, and it is in the church. We can’t seem to get away from it. We are either the ones gossiping or listening to gossip or we are the ones being gossiped about. Gossip is a prevalent and poisonous sin that many times is not dealt with. It is one of the “respectable sins” Jerry Bridges deals with in his book Respectable Sins, and the sin of gossip is thoroughly covered in a book I highly recommend called Resisting Gossip by Matthew Mitchell.
Our words are important and as the Bible says, they are revealing our heart:Our words are important and as the Bible says, they are revealing our heart:
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45
Our words have power and they can bring death or life to our relationships. Matthew Mitchell in his book Resisting Gossip – defines gossip as, “bearing bad news behind someone’s back out of a bad heart.” He gives a clearer understanding of the last phrase in that definition, “out of a bad heart” by sharing, “we gossip because our sinful hearts are attracted to bad stories like moths to a flame.”
Please come listen to the whole podcast at my friend Jennifer's site, Confidently Called, where I shared last week a podcast we did together on Resisting Gossip.
A few areas this podcast covers:
When we should speak up & when we should remain quiet
Things many women say that is actually gossip
How we can open our mouths with wisdom on a daily basis
What we should be saying to each other
Six questions you can ask yourself before speaking
Avoiding gossip via Facebook, etc
The meaning of Proverbs 10:19 “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”
What to do when others start to share gossip
and more…
Resources Mentioned:
Resisting Gossip: Winning the War of the Wagging Tongue by Matthew Mitchell
Some questions to ponder as you interact with your family and others:
Where can you stop speaking words of destruction? What relationship most needs that from you? How are you going to remind yourself?
Where can you begin speaking words that create this week? Who most needs you to speak encouragement to them? (Taken from Jen Wilkin’s study on James, Week 7)
Listen to the Podcast:
You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here or directly from Confidently Called.
Jennifer says
atThank you for sharing your wise words, Marci. And for sharing the podcast!
Marci Ferrell says
atThank you for having me on Jennifer. I loved getting to chat with you.