Gossip is a Deadly Weapon

by David J. Stewart

Proverb 10:18, “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.”

       I don't know who ever made the ridiculous statement that “sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words will never hurt me”; but words can be very painful. The most painful wounds in life are those inflicted by a careless or cruel person's words. It hurts bad when someone whom we look up to hurts us; but it hurts even worse when we unintentionally hurt someone who looks up to us. Gossip is so subtle, and if you're not

It's been said: “Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see. I like that.” The facts are nearly always distorted as they pass from one ear to another. What began as a hold of the hand usually ends up turning into adultery by the time it reaches enough ears. People love to talk, gossip, slander, and tear down. It's in our nature to destroy ourselves. That's the human race. The more we hear about peace, the more war happens and innocent people are murdered. There will never be lasting genuine peace until Jesus Christ reigns from Jerusalem over the whole earth during the 1,000-year mellennium. Until then, people will continue to hurt people, as they do best.

“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” —James 3:5,6

God Gave You Teeth to Cage That Evil Tongue

Keep your cage closed. Don't let the wild animal out! Keep your tongue secured within those pearly white teeth (i.e., the bars of a cage). God gave us a mouth to encage that dangerous tongue! Literally, you ought to view your mouth as cage for our evil tongue. The Bible teaches in James 3:7-8 that the tongue CANNOT BE TAMED. It is impossible. It's in our human nature to talk trash. Everyone is guilty of saying things they shouldn't say.

So what's the answer? Keep your mouth shut! It works. The key is to limit our words, and do our best with the Lord's help to be careful what we say. Wars have been started and ended by mere words. Words are the most powerful force in the world. This is evidenced by the Words of God, which is the highest authority in the universe (Psalm 138:2; John 1:1-3,14).

Keep your mouth shut! If you don't talk, then you can't gossip, can't spread gossip, and can't create gossip. Most gossip is partially true, which is the most dangerous form of gossip. What usually happens is that people spread misinformation, not having all the facts, and someone's life and reputation are injured or destroyed.
 

The Newsmedia are Evil Scum

God hates the newsmedia so much (Proverb 6:16-19), because they spread manure and destroy people's lives. When a crime is committed, the newsmedia looks for every detail, every crime, every bad thing that every family member, even distant family members, have ever committed or been accused of. The newsmedia are the most evil scum on the planet.

I remember many years ago hearing on TV about a women in Kentucky who got involved with a weird cult. They were troubled teenagers, who decided to kill one of their peers in a ritual-style killing. The girl's father is a lawyer. The newsmedia actually tried to make a connection between the girl's crime and Billy Graham, saying that the father had once worked as a lawyer 10-years earlier for Dr. Graham. That's one of millions of examples of how the sick newsmedia distorts the truth, hurts people, ruins lives and destroys families.

The first thing that news reporters always do when there's a horrendous crime is to talk with all the neighbors, family members, co-workers, their friends at church; they're digging and searching under every rock, desperately looking for any filth, dirt, dark truth, to destroy someone's life to sell a newspaper or keep their show's ratings high. Tragically, some people will eat their young as a wild animal does, to make a buck and get ahead in their career. Such people will weep bitter tears of regret and sorrow in eternity when they must give account to God.

People are such hypocrites. People love to tear people down, so that they'll be the last one's standing. I learned years ago to just shut my mouth. When we open our mouth, we will always be tempted to talk about someone that has hurt us, or a person that we don't like. Ephesians 4:30-31 teaches that it grieves God when we speak evil of each other. Jesus taught us by example to wash one another's feet, not bite and devour one another. Galatians 5:15, “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”
 

Living the Christian Life

Jesus is precious! John 13:14, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.” Our own Lord taught us, by example, to get out of the selfish life.

Philippians 2:4-5 teaches for us to have the mind of Christ, by looking upon the things of others. This means more than just meeting a person's needs, it means thinking about others in general, as a way of life. I saw a rainbow a couple weeks ago and took a picture. I burned it to CD and shared it with my neighbor. I was looking on the things of others as the Bible commands. We ought to be thinking about others, how we can express God's love in our heart toward them. Maybe it's a quote you read in a book that you think would interest them. Maybe it's a product that you found at a store that you think would be helpful to them. If it's something you can afford, and you think they'll use it, maybe buy it for them as a gift. There's many things we can do, thousands of things, to show other people that we are not selfish, and Christ is in our life.

I generally don't like to give much money to people on the street who ask, because there are so many cons; so what I do is give pocket change to those who ask, but I give dollars to those who don't ask. Either way I always give something, to stay in the habit of giving. The Bible says to give to those who ask (If I see someone who looks homeless (dingy looking and obviously a street person), then I'll go hand them $20 and a small Bible. I like to give money to those who don't ask, that are obviously homeless, because then I know that I'm not giving money to someone who has a new car around the corner.

It's our nature. Great minds talk about ideas. Good minds talk about things. Weak minds talk about people. I don't want to be weak-minded. I choose rather to talk about things and ideas.

As believers, we should hate gossip too! Gossip has destroyed more churches, marriages, and friendships than adultery, drunkenness or theft ever has! Gossip has destroyed more people's reputations than anything else. People need to learn to keep their mouths shut! Although a cheap form of entertainment for some weak-minded people, God will hold everyone accountable for their words spoken... "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36).

Proverb 11:9 warns, "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered." It is hypocritical when we condemn our neighbor, co-worker, or a stranger; while simultaneously overlooking our own sins and faults in self-righteousness.

Divorce is a perfect example of such hypocrisy. Many women drag their husband before a judge in divorce court, because of modern liberal laws that cater to rebellious wives; while that wicked wife fails to acknowledge her own sins and faults. There are no laws requiring a wife to obey her husband in America. This is a sore evil which has led to feminism, abortions, broken homes, pornography, lesbianism, et cetera.

Gossip is deadly. Like bullets fired from a gun, words cannot be taken back. The Bible has much to say about the words we speak, especially as Christians.

Every Christian ought to mind his or her own business...

“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.” —1st Peter 4:15

Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see.
 

American Society Loves Bad News

People love to gossip. It's in our sinful nature. Humans are prone to attack one another. This is the carnal way of the world. As such we tend to analyze everything and express our opinions concerning what we think about other people. This is why the newsmedia is so successful... because society can't get enough of the dirty, shocking, rotten details. American society is infatuated with death, misery and sorrow. Sexual crimes rank highest in newsmedia viewer ratings. It's downright creepy to see a news anchor woman smiling just seconds after reporting on a brutal rape, or a grotesque murder. Have they no conscience? The entire newsmedia are a bunch of malicious manure-spreaders!

Leviticus 19:16, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.”

Proverb 1:22, "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?" Proverb 14:6 summarizes every TV talk show in America... "A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth." We see and hear a lot of so-called "experts" on TV nowadays who are nothing more than a bunch of scornful idiots, i.e., critics who have something bad to say about everybody except themselves. They are fools... "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2nd Timothy 3:7). The world is filled with idiots who have rejected the God of the Bible.

“There is also the danger in our special prayer groups for us to pray for others to improve, which is simply a way for us to criticize someone to a friend and place it in the disguise of spirituality and prayer. If one is going to pray for the improvement of another and mention his faults, it is best for him to go into the closet and pray alone.”

SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles, a quote from the book, EXPLORING PRAYER WITH JACK HYLES, chapter 46.

Beware of Critics

Be careful what you tell a gossiper because everyone will eventually know about it. Let me tell you friend, there is a form of communication faster than the telephone! There is a form of communication faster than the television! There is a form of communication faster than the telegram! It is the tell-a-woman! I'm being facetious here of course, men are just as guilty about gossiping as woman are. God HATES hate gossip because it destroys people's lives, ministries, homes, marriages, businesses, churches... you name it! 

"He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips." —Proverb 20:19

BEWARE! Stay away from gossiping people, meddle not with them. One of the hallmark qualities of a true friend is someone who refuses to gossip about you behind your back. As a matter of fact, we should never listen to or gossip about anyone! Proverb 11:13 reads, "A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter." Do you have a faithful spirit? Or are you a troublemaker who enjoys hurting others with your slimy vomiting mouth—set on fire of Hell as James 3:6 warns?

“A lie can travel halfway across the country before truth has a chance to put its boots on.” “It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart; the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you.” —Mark Twain

By the way, gossip starts during the childhood years. I remember when I was a teenager, we knew everything about everybody. Teenagers often share the families dirty laundry with each other. Children should be taught NEVER to share dirty laundry about their family with anyone! They should also be taught to avoid gossipers like they would homosexuals.  Yes, I believe that we should teach our children to avoid homosexuals. Frankly, I think the gossipers are much scarier. 

People inherently like to criticize each other, simply because we are discontent by nature (the sin nature). The carnal nature is continually trying to magnify itself (that big EGO, the "I" problem). By the way, women have a problem with egos too, it's not just men that are filled with pride. 

"And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not." —1st Timothy 5:13

God hates gossiping! It doesn't matter if the news is true or false, it is gossip. Gossiping is a SIN!

"But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." —James 3:8

So if the tongue CANNOT be tamed, then what are we supposed to do? Well, God gives us some good advice in Proverb 17:28... Shut up!!!

"Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." —Proverb 17:28

It is our own wicked pride that causes us to criticize others. Gossiping is a SIN!  Gossip is the most DEADLY poison on the face of the earth because there are no hazardous warning labels anywhere. Gossip is deceitful, you never know when it is going to sneak upon you or the temptation to speak it.  People are sly aren't they? They approach you with an intent to gossip, but behind a false front. They'll say something like, "I'm not being critical of Mrs. So-and-so, but did you know______?" 

Oh SHUT UP! Here's another one, "Let's pray for Mr. So-and-so because______? What you are doing is evil, you are assassinating the character of another person. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, it shouldn't be repeated.  We live in a gossiping world.  You can go to any place on this earth and you will find gossip. Where there are people, you will find the works of the flesh (and gossip is definitely one of them). 

God HATES gossip because it causes strife and arguments...

"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." —Proverbs 6:16-19

Have you ever told somebody something in confidence to regret it later? I remember hearing in the news a couple years ago about a woman who should have kept her mouth shut. She was depressed one day at work and muttered to a co-worker that sometimes she just felt like killing herself. Within an hour, a S.W.A.T team had invaded the building, acting upon a tip that a suicidal co-worker was ready to shoot up the workplace. My ONLY point here is... be careful what you say or repeat. 

I could easily write a whole book on what the Bible has to say about our mouth. It is our worst enemy! Jesus said that the mouth speaketh out of the abundance of the heart. The people who are scorners, critics and gossipers do so because it is ingrained in their heart... they are frozen in a dark state of being a critic. Only Jesus Christ can cleanse such a heart of mischief.

Gossip involves WORDS. The Bible teaches us to "season" our words with grace. Hence, we should use the Holy Spirit's guidance when we are speaking or listening. When in doubt, we should keep our mouths shut. Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see.

Keep your slimy gossiping tongue in your face! Shut up!
Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see.

Biblical Evidence of Eternal Punishment

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