How do you feel about gossip? It hurts, doesn’t it? Even if it isn’t about you, it can still be uncomfortable and cause you to see other people in a different light. Even hearing gossip, pulls you into the sin, as you become a participant in spreading lies, embellishments or secrets.

I’ve seen gossip bring companies down faster than the FDA and FTC combined. It tears up marriages and families, destroys reputations and can obliterate your income. You’ve heard, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But words can do some LETHAL damage!

Proverbs 26:20-23 says, “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.”

Look, the enemy hates you with a passion. But the only power he has over your life, is the power you give him! He tries to be sneaky, using words and lies to fuel his hate. It’s all a master plan to destroy you. Don’t fall for it!

Gossip tries to sneak into our lives in many different ways: venting, seeking advice, talking about someone when they’re not around, spreading rumors, sharing assumptions about a person. Prayer requests can often be a form of gossip! You’ve heard it before: “You guys, pray for Sally. She found out her husband lost his job and he was lying about it because he didn’t want her to know. Now they’re fighting and it’s really bad!” Yes, that is gossip! There are so many other “disguises” gossip wears, and if we were to go into each one, I’m sure you would be shocked by what is actually considered gossip.

If you are gossiping, your heart is not clean. And if you are receiving gossip, your heart becomes unclean, too. That may not mean anything to you. Maybe having a “clean heart” is all relative to you. Maybe the fact even hearing any gossip is a sin, doesn’t make a difference to you. And, that’s your prerogative. But, let’s talk about how gossip hurts YOU:

• It makes you an unsafe person for others to be around.
• It hurts your reputation.
• It causes people to view you as distrustful, making you undesirable to do business with.
• It kills your value in the marketplace.
• It will get you fired! Not only that, but if you have a reputation as a gossiper, it will keep you from getting hired… PERIOD!
• It wastes time and kills productivity.

It has to stop, but YOU have to make the conscious effort to stop it. When someone comes to you with big “news” about Sally, you can start by saying, “Hold on a second… I love you and I don’t want to hurt you or Sally. It sounds like you need to talk to Sally about that.” More often than not, the gossiper needs to confront an issue with who they’re gossiping about! If they have questions, concerns, or even accusations, about someone else, it’s up to them – not you – to confront that person!

You don’t have to involve yourself in their issues. You don’t have to take part in a destructive cycle that hurts, destroys, and even takes, lives. Gossip will never bring you happiness, grant you spiritual success or get you closer to your dreams. Therefore, it’s definitely not a productive use of your time!

Today, choose to be someone who builds trust, keeps your heart clean and attains spiritual success! Choose to rise above the sneaky sin of gossip… and its many disguises. Choose to stand strong against the temptation to speak harshly or out of ignorance about another person. Choose to be a person of honor and integrity today. Then, tell me how you’re battling gossip in your life below!

And don’t forget to tune in for our weekly Spiritual Equipping episode of The Dani Johnson Show today, for more biblical inspiration and wisdom. You can find the show on your TV and radio and please remember you can always stream today’s show right here on our website.

In great faith,

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