SPIRITUAL GOSSIP

Maybe I should entitle this "religious" gossip, for in all honesty, I wonder if there's such a thing as legitimate spiritual gossip. If something is spiritual, it isn't gossip; and if it's gossip, I question if it's spiritual! There you have it in a nut shell.

How many Christians have learned the "secret" or the "art" of passing along gossip under the guise of spirituality!

For example, someone says, "I'm just telling you this so you can pray." Oh, yeah?

Or, "I'm interested in so-and-so, but--." Are you really interested in them, or are you more interested in passing that juicy tidbit of gossip along? If you were really, truly interested in them, wouldn't you be spending your time in praying for them instead of talking about them?

Another excuse for passing along religious gossip is, "I know this won't go any further." Hey, if you can't keep your big mouth shut, how do you expect someone else to?

I read a statement by Morris Bender in the Reader's Digest for March, 1991. He said, "A gossip is someone who's the knife of the party." Ouch!

Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.” (NIV)

There are others Scriptures, too, that speak about slander, deceit, etc., all of which are part of the gossip syndrome.

So I leave you with this question. Could others say that you are "the knife of the party?"

Just asking.

Preacher's Kid