Why Are You Talking About Me?

GOSSIP - small talk, hearsay, chitchat. Gossip apply to idle talk and newsmongering about the affairs of others. Gossip is light chat or talk: to trade gossip about the neighbors. It is rumor or general talk that is damaging to reputation; it is usually more or less malicious.

I have learned in my 50 years of life, “those who gossip to you gossip about you”. What is more surprising is that Christians engage in this SINFUL behavior with NO GUILT! It’s just Christian Tabloids!

It’s like a Christian who justifies an adulterous affair (and says, “but I love her”), or a Christian who legitimizes stealing from work and says (”because they don’t pay me enough”).

Romans 1:29 “Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.”

2 Corinthians 12:20 “For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.”

Besides GOSSIP being a dark evil sin that we’ve all engaged in at some time, it’s bad for 3 reasons:

1.) It distracts us from doing the things that are really important; loving and caring for people, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, praying and reading the scripture!

2.) It is murder with the tongue. It seperates close friends, and it breaks relationships!

3.) It tears down people! Gossip produces nothing good in a persons life, period!

How to know when you’ve stumbled upon a GOSSIP:

1.) They gossip to you!

2.) The are unhappy. (typically about many things)

3.) The world is just out to get them.

4.) They do not have any TRUE friends. (have you ever had a friend gossip to you about another friend? That is not friendship!)

5.) Gossip follows gossips! (so if you are always in the midst of gossip… it’s YOU! You are the common denominator!)

Typically, gossipers attract other gossipers. So if you find yourself in a gossip crowd, I would recommend you inform your “friends” (if you can call them that) and challenge them that you want to be a true Christ follower and that you feel that gossip is not doing anything positive in or for your life and will discontinue partaking in the sin of gossip!

“Small people talk about others,
Medium people talk about things,
And big people talk about dreams and ideas”

Let’s be BIG PEOPLE!