Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
The bible does not provide a definition of gossip in one location. It often uses the word gossip to describe a kind of person more than just a pattern of communication. When we look at gossip - it is the direct opposite of gospel. It is the antithesis to good news. One type of news is truth (gospel) and for my purposes of this blog - I'm calling it the goodsip. It is meant to encourage and build up and to give hope.
The opposite of that is what gossip does. It is bearing bad news behind someone’s back out of a bad heart. This functional definition considers the action itself, the content of the corrupt communication, the situation in which it occurs, and perhaps most importantly, the motivations of the people involved. It serves no one.
We have all been guilty of talking out of turn. We have all had an opinion or two about someone out of range of their earshot. The times when this is most dangerous is when more of your messages are this and not that. "This person did this and didn't do that." "Why do they always this and that?" You know how we do!
Examine your interactions this week. Does the gossip outweigh the goodsip? Do you have people already in mind when you have "we go low" news to share? Check those relationships. Are there times when you finish a conversation and feel heavy after because NO GOOD NEWS was exchanged? Reflect on what took place.
This message itself is not meant to judge but to allow some self reflection and self awareness. As a Christian we were saved to bring the good news. Let's do more of that heading into the season of glad tidings. Give a gift of keeping your mouth off that which you dont understand or if someone is really bothering you that much, don't talk about them, talk to them. The gospel, or the goodsip can set the captives free. What GoodSip can you share with someone right now? Don't wait. Don't hold it. Minister grace today.
Ephesians 4:32
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."