“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.” Proverbs 18:8
“Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” Proverbs 17:9
Gossip is one of those insidious, everyday kind of sins. We often excuse it to ourselves. (“I’m just sharing my concern about their marriage,” or “She’ll never know that I told this to someone.”) But God says there is no excuse for gossip – ever.
So, let’s take a few minutes to think about gossip – and take whatever action we need if we have been guilty of this sin.
-- Why is gossip so tempting to give?
-- Why is gossip so tempting to listen to?
-- How do we justify what is really just plain old gossip?
-- What does gossip say about someone’s character?
-- What happens when we betray a confidence? Namely, what happens to us, what happens to the person we gossip to, and what happens to the person we gossip about?
-- What should we do if we have been gossiping about someone?
-- What should we do if we are present when gossiping starts?
-- What should we do if we are the one who has been gossiped about?
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