Avoiding Gossip as a Christian | Cathe Laurie Devotion
“And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself” (James 3:6 NLT).
Are We Too Comfortable with Gossip?
“Did you hear?”
Did you lean in, ready to listen? Did your heart race just a little bit, thinking you might get in on a secret? Those three words may be the most famous words to introduce gossip. “Did you hear about so-and-so?” “Did you hear what happened to her?” “Did you hear what she did?”
While those may seem like obvious gossip conversations to avoid, I do think we get a little lax when it comes to sharing information. After all, don’t we love being “in the know”? Don’t we love having something to talk about? Don’t we love sharing information that others may not know?
. . . Are you shifting in your seat a bit?
Scripture Talks About the Power of Our Words
Scripture warns us of the power of our words. “Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself” (James 3:6 NLT). Wow! Talk about extreme!
Yeah, yeah, Cathe, I’ve heard this before! I know words are powerful. I don’t speak ill of others. I don’t say mean things. Okay, great! But what about sharing seemingly innocent information?
Before Talking About Someone, Consider Some Questions
When you’re sharing information about someone else (no matter the intention!), consider these questions:
- Has or would the person you’re discussing share this information with the person you’re telling?
- Has the person you’re discussing given you explicit permission to share?
- Will this information shape someone’s opinion about the person?
Sometimes, the information doesn’t seem negative. It may even be shared in hopes of benefitting the person we’re discussing! But by sharing it, we’re letting others into someone’s life when they were never invited.
Not everything is meant to be shared among the masses. Some things are meant to be kept protected, between friends. Even the most innocent-seeming facts and tidbits can damage the sacred guard of a friendship.
“A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends” (Proverbs 16:28 NLT).
Be Cautious with Your Words
Yes, there’s a time to share grievances and prayer requests. And, of course, when you’re praising someone, that’s an entirely different scenario! But there’s a difference between telling someone your friend is a great mother and telling them a specific story, full of details, about your friend’s child and her parenting method.
We don’t know how others will be affected by our words. So be cautious! Set boundaries! Hold your tongue. Take the extra step to check and ensure you’re not sharing information you shouldn’t. Be willing to step back and not share, however tempting it might be, to guard and protect the privacy and sacred lives of others. Your precious friendships will be all the better for it!
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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.
