Do you gossip? Have you ever participated in gossip? Have you ever been the recipient of gossip?
Romans 1:29 says, "being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, they are gossip”.
Gossip is an exaggeration, or a fabrication of a story, or a lie, regarding someone other than the person who is telling it. The person who is telling it, is called a “talebearer” and they are discussing someone, normally, for a malicious purpose, to demean, slander, or tarnish their reputation.
Gossipers are those people who like to talk about other people’s private or personal business. They are busybodies, gossipmongers, meddlers, and rumormongers. They like to throw dirt on people. They spread hear-says. They divide and conquer with rumors and scandal. Their chit-chat, are full of idle conversations while telling tales, dishing the dirt, talking out of turn, while they spill the tea.
Many people profits from the spread of gossip. There are “gossip columnists” and “gossip blogs”.
Everyone has experienced the hurt from gossip. Some people meant to cause harm, and some didn’t. The result of gossip causes broken trust, hurt feelings, and ruined reputations.
Let me share a story about “The Triple Filter Test”. Socrates was visited by an acquaintance of his. Eager to share some juicy gossip, the man asked if Socrates would like to know the story he’d just heard about a friend of theirs. Socrates replied that before the man spoke, he needed to pass “The Triple-Filter Test”.
The first filter, he explained, is Truth. “Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to say is true? The man shook his head. “No, I actually just heard about it, and …”
Socrates cut him off. “You don’t know for certain that it is true, then, is what you want to say, is it good or kind? Again, the man shook his head. “No! Actually, just the opposite. You see…”
Socrates lifted his hand to stop the man from speaking. “So you are not certain that what you want to say is true, and it isn’t good or kind.” One filter still remains, though, so you may yet still tell me. Is this information, useful or necessary to me? A little defeated, the man replied, “No, not really.”
“Well, then, “Socrates said, turning on his heels. If what you want to say is neither true, nor good or kind, nor useful or necessary, please don’t say anything at all.”
Words are powerful. Words can build someone up or tear them down. When you spread a malicious rumor, you commit character assassination. Something like this can have a tremendous negative effect on someone.
God’s word warns us to stay away from people who gossip. God tells us to guard our words when we speak about others.
So, lets’ began a movement. If it doesn’t fit “The Triple Filter Test," don’t listen and don’t spread it. But if you need to gossip, let’s gossip about the “good news” of Jesus Christ.
God’s scripture warns us about making false statements that can damage a person’s reputation. That word in the Bible is called, SLANDER. Slander can destroy a person’s life, marriage, family, and career. The tongue is a powerful weapon. The Bible warns us of what words to speak and what not to speak.
Kommentare