Today something happened a while back on my Facebook, which brought the whole “gossiping” thing front and center to me. I won’t go into details, but to sum it up a friend was hurt because someone was able to get some personal information about her via my commenting to her Facebook status (HELLO FACEBOOK–YOU REALLY NEED TO GET YOUR PRIVACY PROBLEMS WORKED OUT!).
The Danger of Gossip
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First, let’s take a look at the word “Gossip”, as defined by the Webster dictionary:
Gossip
GOS’SIP, n.
One who runs from house to house, tattling and telling news; an idle tattler. [This is the sense in which the word is now used.]
Mere tattle; idle talk.
So to gossip is a person who spreads tales from house to house. In today’s world, that would also include blogs, Facebook, websites, etc. A gossip like to talk and I’m as guilty of it as the next person. It’s too easy to forget that there is a person behind the story. It’s hard to avoid gossip. It’s constantly on TV (even the evening news!) and staring at you from the cover of magazines at the grocery checkout. It’s everywhere. It’s so easy to think that the latest story about Brad and Angelina or Jessie and Sandra are just normal topics of conversation…but that is gossip. Whenever you talk (or post) something about another person that you do not have permission to share, you are gossiping. The Bible has a lot to say about gossip:
- A gossip is a revealer of secrets; so do not mix with him who flatters with his lips. –Proverbs 20:19
- One going with slander is a revealer of secrets, but the faithful of spirit keeps the matter hidden. –Proverbs 11:13
- A perverse man causes fighting, and a whisperer separates chief friends. –Proverbs 16:28
- A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. –Proverbs 18:7-8
- Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles. –Proverbs 21:23
- having guilt because they have cast off the first faith. And with it all they also learn to be idle, going around the houses; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things they ought not. –I Timothy 5:12-13
- And even as they did not think fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do the things not right, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; being full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, evil habits, becoming whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, braggarts, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, perfidious, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous order of God, that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but have pleasure in those practicing them. –Romans 1:28-32
So why do people gossip? I have found that the main reason is simply not realizing this is what they’re doing. How often do you find yourself chatting with your girlfriends about the latest Hollywood scandal? Or about the odd behavior of a friend or neighbor. What seems like just a fun conversation is truly nothing more than gossip. It’s just as wrong as telling your friend’s secrets to everyone else. This is one of the forms of gossip that I see most prevalent on the internet.
One of the main reasons people gossip is to build themselves up by tearing others down. It gives them a sense of superiority because of the knowledge that they have on other people. These kinds of gossips can be the most dangerous because they share other peoples faults and failings and point to them like a blinking arrow….”look at those people’s faults, not mine”, they seem to say. They share embarrassing and shameful details about another person because they think it takes the focus off of their problems.
Gossip can hurt and can ruin friendships. I know the whole “Sticks & Stones” saying, but truly, gossip can cause damage and hurt. Spreading possibly embarrassing information about others is mean spirited and wrong. And so much that goes on Facebook and blogs can be considered gossip. Instead of going from house to house to tell tales, we just let our fingers do the walking and do it online…where there is a bigger audience and a bigger chance of bigger hurt.
I admit that I’ve played a part in gossip and it’s something that I’m in continual prayer about. It’s just too easy to fall in line and gossip about some celebrity and the more you do it, the easier it is to start doing it about friends and family. Gossip breeds more gossip. Gossip grows more and more with each telling. Before you know it, it takes over too much of your life. Nip the gossip monster in the bud.
But if you have a problem with gossip, how do you stop it? The best way I’ve found is to pray that the Lord helps you with it and to remember to pray for forgiveness each time you slip and gossip. I also avoid anything that might be considered gossip. That means turning the channel, ignoring the magazine covers, and telling friends that you just don’t want to hear the latest gossip they want to share with you. You might lose friends over it. I’ve lost friends because I’ve told them that I didn’t want to hear the gossip they were constantly wanting to share with me.
As Christians we are to love each other and build each other up. We are to think of others and then ourselves. We shouldn’t need to build ourselves up in this manner. Our self-esteem should come from our relationship with the Father, not any other thing on earth. Who wants to join me in saying no to gossip?
Politics. I am not very much into it. Yet, it is everywhere I am. Invasive; on my radio, on the websites I view. It would be much worse if I watched television. It’s very rarely pleasant or “kind” {“so-and-so in such-and-such year was terrible at this-and-that -vote for me instead!“}. It just seems that those who become involved in politics, I mean really entrenched and involved, must become someone else or magnify the negative. Interestingly, the above quote is from a Democrat. I think stereotypically, the other side would disagree. 
Learning about Native America is important to my family, as part of my husband’s heritage is Native American. We don’t know much about it, because his grandmother looked at her Native American heritage as shameful. I don’t want my children growing up with the outlook, so I feel it’s important for them to learn as much about it as possible and even celebrate it. That’s why I was so excited to get to review the 
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