We often write about divorce, drunkenness, etc., in the church. I would like to write about one of the sins that can destroy a church and a ministry in a very short time. Gossip about your pastor, about your leadership, about your church family, can be more deadly than just about anything.
Scripture speaks to this sin for sure.
Leviticus 19:16 - Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
Proverbs 11:13 - A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
Proverbs 20:19 - A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.
Luke 6:45 - The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
As Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, he was concerned about gossip along with other sins in the life of the church.
2 Corinthians 12:20-21 - 20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
It isn't always the outward, visible sins that hurt and destroy. Gossip, along with other relational sins as mentioned in the above passage can do as much if not more damage. I have seen attitudes, gossip, anger, rage, jealousy, envy, unstable emotions, and more hurt ministries.
Your thoughts?
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When Quoting Scripture Inflicts Harm
6 years ago
3 comments:
I believe a lot of gossip stems from people not knowing about someone else so they just say dumb things just to talk--for instance--they may say my husband is a non-believer or that I have no husband just because they do not know him or have never seen him. But in reality they are just afraid to come up and ask. I think it would be great if we had a group just get together where everyone would just be able to ask people "everything they wanted to know but were afraid to ask" of others--maybe they are scared it may offend other people--I feel a lot of bias opinions may just be people not knowing about different cultures and not really being prejudices at all. Someone said to me that they think all white people have straight hair. Well guess what--I am of Jewish ethnicity white and I have naturally curly hair so I had to prove this by showing my baby pics to the individual--Wow! what we could do with a church full of people with open minds ready to listen to all instead of gossipy closed minds spreading untruths about people they most likely do not know at all! Lorie Lowery
My favorite type of gossip is the prayer request gossip. "Dear Lord, I also now pray for Sally who was found last week with another man. Please give each and every one of us in this small group a chance to minister to her." If only you know, it's no one else's busines.s
LOL. I love those.
I agree with Lorie. People should just go to the source. Accountability partners, best friends, and maybe even pastors (but they're trained in counseling) shouldn't know the name of the person you might have a problem with unless it is okay with that person.
I have experienced many times when what people have said to me affects how I view the person in question or what people have revealed or said about me, affects how people look at me.
It's really terrible.
I admit my tongue isn't always tame but I'm striving for it. Thanks for the biblical references. I pray it becomes heart-knowledge for myself.
gossiping hurts the church because the church is supposed to be a family and family should not be at each other's throats. we should have each other's backs and should love one another. gossip is just the wrong thing to do.
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