A teenage girl was found by her parents, dead in her room. The note she left said that she could not live knowing that everyone thought she was a whore. This young teenager was the victim of a gossip’s tongue. She had been at a party given by one of her girlfriends and because of a severe thunderstorm, had spent the night. Early the next morning the girl’s father had dropped her off at her house on his way to work. A neighbor woman, watching from her window, saw the girl come home and was aghast at what she thought had happened: the girl had spent the night with this man. She began calling all her friends and neighbors about this terrible sin. When the teenager finally heard what was being said about her, she went home and, in her room, killed herself. She was the victim of an insidious crime. Gossip. No, the neighbor woman did not shoot the girl or tie a rope around her neck, but she was as guilty of contributing to the girl's death as if she had.
And this is not a made-up story. It is real. It really happened to a real girl. The real shame is that no one except God holds that neighbor accountable for her crime.
Gossip, I believe, is the most insidious sin that a man or woman can engage in. It is nothing less than character assassination and complete lack of love and truth. It is unfortunately the one sin we seem to get the most enjoyment out of. Newspapers, news media outlets, and social media writers know that people will read “gossip” columns even if they look over more news worthy stories. Gossip sells newspapers, magazines, and TV shows. Gossip seems to be our favorite indoor and outdoor sport.
Gossip can destroy a reputation, a career, and a life. Make no mistake, gossip is a sin. Leviticus 19:16 makes this very plain, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer (gossiper) among they people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am the Lord." To the Lord, gossip is in the same class as murder.
Gossip is insidious because we engage in it without thinking about it. We never think to ask, “Is it true?” We meet our friends and over a cup of coffee and we tear down the character of an absent person. We report stories we have heard without checking them for truthfulness. It would seem the worse we can say about someone, the better it is. But you might think, “I never say anything untrue about another person.” But gossip also can be telling the truth about someone because gossip is "talebearing." And talebearing is just plain 'ol telling on another person in order to do them harm. Gossip must be understood as hurting others by what we say. Proverbs 18:8 puts it like this, "The words of a talebearer are wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.”
"But it’s true!" we may protest. The fact that it is true is even more of a reason for us to not tell it. For when we “tell all,” we show ourselves to be a fool. Proverbs 18:6-7 says, “A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for destruction and his lips are the snare of his soul.” We only show how foolish and uncaring we are when we enter into gossiping. What a contrast is a person who refuses to harm another with his lips! Proverbs 11:13 enlightens us: “A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” Just remember it may be your sinful secret told the next time.
Gossip is insidious because it truly harms others. Proverbs 26:22 says, “the words of a talebearer are as wounds.” Twice, the Word of God uses the same phrase to express how harmful gossip is for a reason: it causes REAL hurt. All of us can think of a person who has been wronged by a talebearer’s tongue--reputations that have been ruined, jobs lost, families broken up, and yes, even lives lost.
Gossip is insidious because it makes a mockery of a man’s religion. James 1:26 says “If a man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James is saying we can tell the truth of a man’s religion by the words of his mouth. If a person is forever talking about others, his religion is empty, not real. Gossip causes others to want nothing to do with Christ. No one wants what has not helped you control your tongue.
Gossip is insidious because of its source. The third chapter of James gives us a good picture of gossip's birthplace, and it is uncontrollability. James tells us that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. In verses 6 & 7 he tells us the tongue “setteth on the fire of hell.” The father of lies is also the father of gossip. Just think about whose side you put yourself on each time you engage in gossip.
Gossip is insidious because it defiles the gossiper. (James 3:7) You and I may live a clean Godly life, but each time we gossip we dirty ourselves. Gossip not only hurts the person talked about, it “defileth the whole body" of the person doing the gossiping. Three people get hurt each time you or I gossip: the gossiper, the hearer, and the victims.
Gossip should never be a part of a Christian’s life.
Proverbs 21:23 says “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.”
Proverbs 26:30 “Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.”
Providers 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
The person who keeps his mouth and tongue from gossip keeps himself from many troubles that come because of gossip. Gossip cannot spread if we do not repeat what we hear. We must remember, we hold life and death for someone.
We should make the same promise David made in Psalm 17:3 “I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.” A worthy goal- not to engage in gossip, the most insidious sin of all.
