Gossip is one of those things that creeps in like the coolness of a spring evening. You barely notice it until you are freezing and need to find extra layers to warm back up. Gossip is in the details, gossip can be found in our opinions as well. We find gossip mentioned throughout scripture, in both the Old Testament and the New. In Exodus, Moses is talking to the Israelites when he says; “You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.” Exodus 23:1 NLT. From the very beginning of time, gossip has been a stumbling block for humanity.
It’s the Law
In Leviticus we find God giving Moses the instructions and expectations that the Israelites need to follow. These expectations that God set forth at Mt Sinai were the guardrails to keep the Israelites on path with God. Now I know what you are thinking, but didn’t Jesus die on the cross to do away with the “old law”? He died on the cross so we can have eternal life in heaven, not take away the guardrails that guide us to a life that glorifies God. We could never live up to the “old law”, so Christ made a way for us to be forgiven. We just have to choose to follow Him instead of the world! So how does gossip fit into this, Leviticus 19:16 NLT says, “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.”
Expectations
God’s expectations that are laid out in the old testament for the Israelite people still hold value to us today. We have to understand that Christ didn’t take away the expectations, just the punishment. So as we study and work toward a life that glorifies God, we have to know what is expected. We have to choose to do what God sees as right.
If we spend more time talking about the details or the circumstances of a prayer request than we do actually praying about it, than we are gossiping!
We can’t get wrapped up in the details of prayer request, we have to get wrapped up in prayer. If we think we are gossiping, we need to step back and evaluate why we are talking about details, or why are we asking about details? God knows the situation, so why do we need to know? Now there are times when leadership needs to know some details so that future situations don’t produce conflict or sin, but most of the time prayer requests should be prayed about, not talked about.
Seeing is believing
Matthew 5: 16 NLT, Jesus says “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Our Jesus is talking about letting His light shine through us. By letting God’s expectations guide our lives we are letting His light shine through us, when we gossip, we are hiding that light. I love the comparison of our faith to light, you don’t hear light coming. You see it! Our faith is not proven by what we say, it is proven by what we do. 1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” Knowing the expectations that God has for us, allows us to choose wisely. God is not going to force us to act a certain way, but He does expect us to follow His guidance. So hit the ground running and put gossiping behind you! Let your faith be filled with action and not just words, and Always Do Good for God!
Pastor Rick
