Bible verse of the Day Friday June 9th, 2023

Proverbs 17:9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Some might say: "It is only a little innocent gossip," the writer of this proverb lets us know that gossip is neither innocent nor little. The effects of gossip are paramount and can cause irreparable damage. Three things we should consider when the dangers of gossip are covered: the nature, the outcome, and the remedy of gossip and slander. Those who gossip share information about someone that someone has shared with another in confidence. For example, Brother Jim shares in the Brotherhood meeting that God is convicting him of wasting time watching Television, and he asks the other brothers to remember him in prayer. The group holds him up at the meeting and agrees to keep him in their prayers. Then at the worship service the following Sunday, Brother Williams, who is not part of the brotherhood meeting, says to Jim: "I hear you have a problem watching too much TV." Multiple questions are going through Jim's mind; How do you know that? Who told you? What did they tell you, and was the information communicated correctly? Gossip can cause a fracture in the body of Christ that could take years to repair and damage a person's trust in other church members.

Brother Williams doesn't have to know that Jim is going through an attack from Satan by becoming addicted to Television. Other people don't have to know what is going on in the lives of other members of the Body of Christ. Gossip will tear down confidence between people in the Church and shares unfavorable information about people when we are not part of the problem or part of the solution.

If gossip can damage a friendship of close and intimate friends, imagine what damage it can do to those building a relationship with Christ Jesus. Gossip can destroy the unity within the individual groups in the Church. We must shun the direction of Satan when he tempts us to spread gossip about one of our brothers or Sisters in Christ. As damaging as that can and will be, it is more critical to those we are witnessing for Jesus. If people visiting our Church realize that there is a gossip problem in our Church, they will move on. One day when we stand before Jesus, he will ask us why you ran that person or those people from your Church with your gossip. Evangelism in the world of today is complicated enough without involving Satan and his evil tools like gossip.