Gossip Kills

When sharing God’s eternal wisdom with us, Solomon wrote, “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends. (Proverbs 17:9)”  Repeating matters about others is sin. Today we know that as ‘gossip’.  The sin of gossip, talking about others, hyper-judging them, whispering private matters in public venues, talking about someone behind their backs, false praying, talking about another without them being present, all of it and more is sin. It’s destructive. Gossip kills. Slander ruins reputations. Bearing false witness undermines friendships. It ought not to be so among us as followers of Christ!

These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV)

Be careful when you hear bad news. Be careful not to think the worst of someone because of a weakness or failure in their lives.  Be careful not to allow your imagination to run wild. Be careful to keep things to yourself and pray.  Love hopes all things (1 Corinthians 13).

We’re reminded of poor Noah after the flood.

After the Flood, Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard. One day he became drunk on some wine he had made and lay naked in his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, walked backward into the tent, and covered their father’s naked body. As they did this, they looked the other way so they wouldn’t see him naked. Genesis 9:20-23 (NLT)

The Bible describes Noah as, “righteous, blameless, and a preacher of righteousness.” Wow. The man who found grace, who lived obediently, was known as righteous, who walked with God got drunk and got himself in trouble.  We see him stumble and fall.  Why? Because man, every man, is frail and will falter. No one is immune to stupid choices. No one. Not you. Not me.

If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. 2 Tim 2:13 (NKJV)

By the way, this is the first mention of wine in the Bible and notice in its connection with man it is associated with drunkenness and stupidity.  Why? Because there is a close relationship between intoxication and iniquity, between drunkenness and debauchery.  Noah ‘become naked’ under the influence of alcohol. Drunkenness put him in a position of embarrassment and humiliation.  As alcohol and drugs enter a person’s system, they begin to lose their normal faculties seeing all inhibitions and restraint disappear.  It’s a bad moment in Noah’s life.

Noahs sons knew their dad’s difficult situation but only one son saw his nakedness, Ham.  Happy to see his dad’s moral lapse, Ham so quickly goes out to expose him, to further the embarrassment.   His brothers weren’t interested in exploiting their father’s weakness and instead chose not to look but walked in backward to cover up their dad respecting him even in his failure, especially in his failure.

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

Unfortunately there are many Hams in the church today. They like to gaze upon the sins of others and make sure everyone knows. They are the habitual gossips, spending more time exposing sins of others than repenting of their own! Instead of keeping it to themselves and helping, they go out and begin to destroy a person by talking about him behind his back. Listen, gossip kills a person. We need to stop talking to people and begin praying to God about situations.

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Gal. 6.1-2 (NKJV)

Repent of the sin of gossip today.