Gossip: The Cancer That’s Killing The Church
What’s killing our churches?, what’s bringing the Lord’s churches to their knees? It’s a disease, it’s rapidly spreading through our churches at an alarming rate. It spreads from the member’s hearts right over their tongues, and in just a few minutes, it can infect the whole congregation. I’m talking about “Gossip”, that tricky little ace card that the devil uses to bring separation into the congregation of a church.
More damaging than an outright lie is a lie wrapped around the truth. The truth validates the gossip’s interpretation of the facts. Gossip can contain truth (“She hasn’t been in church for a month”) wrapped in a lie or assumption (“because she has given up on God”), see what I mean? now that certainly doesn’t mean it’s true. Perhaps her absence was due to an illness, perhaps a family member’s passing, or perhaps she needed time to examine herself before returning to church. The fact is this, when gossip spreads, the victim or victims are hurt, betrayed, and ridiculed. Gossip tears down relationships, it leaves deep scars on the victims and can take a lot of time to heal. It can destroy one’s relationship with other members of a congregation, and ultimately someone’s relationship with God.
Who gossips, and why?, 9 out of 10 times the person or persons that start the infection usually do it to conceal their own unrighteousness, those that are spiritually immature, and lack the knowledge given to us in and through the word of God, are usually the carriers. A lot of times the victims are those that are growing within the church as well as growing spiritually faster than those that start to spread the infection. Think about it, the devil doesn’t want us to grow spiritually and gain knowledge about God, thus we pose a threat to him.
Let’s look at a few words of scripture that pertain to gossip, and how the Lord feels about it :
Is Gosspip Hurtful?
Proverbs 18:8 (King James Version) –
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.
Proverbs 20:19 (King James Version) –
He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
Proverbs 26:20 (King James Version) –
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
How Does God Feel About Gossip?
Proverbs 10:18 (King James Version) –
He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
Psalm 15:2-3 (King James Version) –
[2] He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
[3] He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
Ephesians 4:31 (King James Version) –
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
As you can see gossip is hurtful and is hated by God. Gossip has been known to cause members to alienate themselves from all church activities as well as members. Gossip leads to depression, anxiety, alcoholism and in some cases suicide. When a person finds out that they are the subject in gossip, they need to forgive those that gossip. When this continues, seek answers from the senior members of your church, school staff, a counsellor, etc. The devil likes to incorporate separation in the church, and he uses the spiritually weak to carry out his plan. I don’t care how many praise reports, church functions, or songs you sing in church, if you allow the devil in your life outside of church you are more susceptible to his tricks, and you become his tool. And when senior members or pastors do nothing to stop this in their churches. Or they ignore the fact that their congregation is being torn apart by a few, then all they are doing is defending the devil. When you reach the point of enough is enough, If there is no other way to stop the gossip in your church, ask God to show you the way, ask him for guidance, ask him to clear you a path, “I did”.
Proverbs 11:13 (King James Version)
A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
Your Brother in Christ
Brother Randy