“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin…Do not go about spreading slander among your people…Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.”
Proverbs 13:3; Leviticus 19:16; Psalm 101:5
Why Gossip is something God hates
Gossip.
It is a horrible habit, which has thoroughly infected the world.
What is worse, it is accepted as approved behavior.
Well, God doesn’t approve!
He created you for beauty and kindness and goodness…to love and encourage and build up – never to tear down. God does not create ugly… only beauty.
See it!
Think about it!
Feel it!
And always speak it!
Your turn …
First, confess. Do it now! Let God heal this ugliness and replace it with fresh beauty.
Now, as with whining, when this evil gossip comes to mind – immediately STOP – replace the thought with an encouraging word, a word of grace and beauty. Do this with intent and restore your integrity and reputation.
Rebuild and restore your testimony. You must do this for yourself – for God’s kingdom.
On your knees, pray …
“LORD, who may dwell in Your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the LORD; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; whoever lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.”
Psalm 15
“A good (wo)man brings good things out of the good stored up in (her) heart, and an evil (wo)man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in (her) heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of…Women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything… If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Luke 6:45; 1 Timothy 3:11; Galatians 5:15-16
God is cheering you on!
How to do this as a weekly Bible study
Day One: Experience
Read the entire devotion. Do any verses stand out to you? If so, write it down and work on memorizing it over the week. I personally love the app “Scripture Typer.”
Day Two: Observe & Read
Chain. Look up and chain verses (For example on how to chain verses, see this video).
Day Three: Interpret
Read through the chain of verses starting with the first one. What do they say? Do you notice when it says “never” or “always” or “If, but, however, therefore, all…..”
Day Four: Application
Do “Your turn” and make a list of people that God has put on your heart when you read this.
Day Five: Testify
Who in your life, right now, can you share this with? There is somebody in your life that needs to hear this. Close your eyes. What name came to mind?
Why Gossip is something God hates
