Gossip dies when it enters the ears of the wise.
“You can change your world by changing your words…Remember death and life are in the power of the tongue.” – Joel Osteen
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” – Mother Theresa
GOSSIP. What an ugly word! The cause of so much hurt and lies. I don’t care who you are and how much you are against it, some time in your life you have definitely been gossiped about as well as have gossiped of someone in some or other way. Unless you are the only perfect person on earth.
Why do we gossip? The answer is simple! You cannot hurt if you are not hurt. If your heart is whole and healed then you will want to heal others. If you are already hurt then you will hurt others, sometimes especially the people you love the most.
So, personally, whenever I am about to speak a critical word or a derogatory remark about someone else, I consider it a clear indication that all is not well in my heart. It is like immediately having warning lights going off in my mind, screaming out: “Janine, you are hurt/insecure /harbor unforgiveness in this area!!! Close your mouth, get back in your room and pray for healing!!” Why? Because our Daddy is THE Creator of the universe and He created with His words. This means that we, being His children, should be creating and healing with our words too. Gossip is the total opposite – breaking down, damaging, selfish. So much unlike His character!
Why else would you gossip? Another good reason could be because you have forgotten where you were when you gave your life to Jesus. You have forgotten about His amazing Grace that saved you. That same Grace that has been undeservedly given to you, that same Grace that you are really not projecting when you gossip, criticize and judge. Remember, this person you are so eager to gossip about, might not yet know Jesus the way you do! That person might not have people praying for their salvation like you might have had. Jesus Himself said in Mark 10:18: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” Isaiah writes “But we are like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags;..”(64:6) We are not better than any other sinner – we are only different because of the blood of Jesus. We are forgiven. We know the Good News. We want more of Him, to be more like Him. But it is all underserved! It has nothing to do with our good deeds and behavior. So what should you do when someone catches your attention in such a way that you want to tell the world of their wrongdoings or ill behavior? Close your mouth before speaking, go into your room and repent before God who knows your heart. And then….pray for that person. Speak life over that person. Being the child of the Creator who spoke and created the universe through His words, means you also get to create through yours. You have been presented with an opportunity to be used by God to touch another person’s life! What a privilege!
So what to do when you are being gossiped about? Well, there is not much you can physically do about that really! Let me tell you, whether the information being gossiped about you is false or true, you will not always be able to fight for yourself or justify yourself. Rarely so. Here, “dying to self ” comes into play and can act as a good indication of how much you still care about “what people think”.Yep, this is DIFFICULT. Dying to self is never easy. Remember this: What is most important is what God thinks of you. Allow Holy Spirit to advocate you. This is perhaps the only and best thing you can do. Pray. Give the situation to Jesus and allow Holy Spirit to speak on your behalf. Declare it and believe me, He will. He is a Friend like no other. And then, as David said when he went to face the giant: “The battle is the Lord’s!”
What about church leaders? Example: Pastor John Doe committed adultery – surely everyone should know!? Let me tell you something: With a leadership position and anointing, comes great responsibility and also great spiritual opposition.
Leaders NEED PRAYER and support! The enemy (the devil – our war is not against flesh and blood!) will try anything to get rid of church leaders. When a leader “falls”, it is a sad, sad day. Rather be that person who supports and prays for the leaders in the body of Christ – knowing full well that they are no more perfect than you and that, though you might be unaware of it, they are many times tested and challenged left, right and center.
Matt.7:2 “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
With your tongue, you can rule and reign, heal and build up, encourage and support others. Or you can gossip, speak death and destruction, cause hurt and pain. You have been given great authority in the spiritual realm, whether you speak life or death. It always comes down to a decision though. What do you choose?
“Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings upon the world.” – Lawrence G. Lovasik