Zip It!

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 5:13

The Bible says gossip is nothing less than ‘meddling in other people’s business’. Jon Zens says: ‘I have watched friends and…families suffer untold pain because of gossip…[the] information someone dumps on you without your consent and consent of the person [involved]. [It] can be true, partially true, or completely false. It can be motivated by good intentions, but it always contains negative…information…[and colors] people’s perceptions of [someone] unjustly. The person being torn down is out of the loop [because] talebearers usually avoid speaking directly to the one they are demeaning.’

One Christian leader said, ‘The Christian army is the only one that shoots its wounded.’ So set the standard for your own life by evaluating people based on your experience with them, not on what somebody else says. Second-hand information is notoriously unreliable and misleading, and it violates Christ’s command to ‘treat people the…way you want them to treat you’ (Matthew 7:12). When you have been hurt by tittle-tattle, you can relate to the wisdom of those words. Rumors and innuendos may seem innocent and come to you subtly, but even if someone isn’t operating in malice, their motive is irrelevant. Spreading gossip defies walking in love and looking ‘for the best’ in others (1 Corinthians 13:7).

A.W. Tozer said, ‘Never pass anything on…that will hurt [somebody]. “Love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8), and the talebearer has no place in God’s favor. If you know something that would hurt one of God’s children…take it out…bury it and say, “Here lies in peace the story about my brother.” God will take care of it.’

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to only speak words that build others up! In Jesus’ Name, Amen