First, let me state for the record. I am not suggesting that Covid-19 should be consider anything other than what is has been. It's been a deadly virus and it has wreaked havoc on our world.
And with that being said, there is yet an even more deadly virus that has taken our world and even worse the church by storm. Now, this virus is not new and has been around as long as the human race has been. This virus has caused more damage, caused more death than any and all viruses before it and will continue to be the number one cause of anxiety, depression, pain and confusion in the lives of men and women around the globe.
Do you know what it is? It's the virus of GOSSIP!
With the advent of social media, the virus spreads faster and in more deadlier forms than ever before. As a pastor, I have witnessed 100's perhaps 1,000's of lives destroyed by it. And the sad thing is that the gossip generally isn't about the lives it destroys. Probably more often than not the gossip that kills and does the most harm to any given individual is about someone else. What I am trying to say is that the gossip more than likely that kills you spiritually has nothing to do with you at all but is about someone else.
In Proverbs 6:16 is says "There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers."
It's pretty clear what God thinks about gossip. And the most dangerous form or strain of gossip is when it is mixed with bitterness. Bitterness always finds a way to justify its feeling, its angst and its fabricated stories. When we are bitter, we feel completely justified in embellishing truth, stretching stories and the worst part; it never stays with the host. It infects many. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 15 says "See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;" Gossip laced with bitterness spreads faster than Covid-19 ever could. And social media has become a super-spreader medium.
In this writing, I cannot adequately list every verse found in our Bible and unpack it. So I encourage you to take some time to see what it says. My prayer is that it would change the way you talk to others about others. And hopefully change the way you post and repost and recycle the absolute garbage that's out there.
As a pastor, I am on the front lines continually waging war against the virus of gossip. And yes many times the gossip is about my me. Just comes with the territory. But the biggest fight I deal with is when someone in the church is gossiped about and it takes its toll on them and they slowly slip away from the one place they should feel safe in; the House of God.
Think about all the conversations you have and see if it is nothing more than gossip in a lot of cases. I bet it will surprise you. We are relational people. We need people. We need community and with it comes the danger of conversation about someone else that disappoints us, fails us or just doesn't do something we agree with. So how do we know what is gossip and how do we know when to refrain from speaking? It's quite simple actually. If the person you're speaking with cannot do anything to change or help the situation in your angst against another person, then what you are doing is gossiping. Never complain horizontally rather always complain up. This is good in the workplace, in church and in life. Any time you share information with someone else about someone else and they are not in the position to help, aide or assist you in bringing the matter to a healthy and godly end, then it is nothing more than airing dirty laundry and its gossip.
The thing about dirty laundry is that everyone has some. And if you don't live your life without the drama of gossip in it, your dirty laundry will soon be on the menu for all to hear and see. So let's give everyone a break and realize you're not all that either.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Comentários