The Telephone Game — Gossip vs. Gospel - Wednesday
Today’s Verse
Proverbs 4:23-24
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.” (NLT)
One of the biggest excuses I hear to justify gossip is, “But I was telling the truth!” So, what defines gossip? GotQuestions.org suggests two main differences between sharing the truth and gossip:
1. Intent. Gossipers often have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves as some kind of repositories of knowledge.
2. The type of information shared. Gossipers speak of the faults and failings of others, or reveal potentially embarrassing or shameful details regarding the lives of others without their knowledge or approval. Even if they mean no harm, it is still gossip.
Proverbs 4:23-24 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.” What we say comes out as an overflow of what is in our hearts. So, how do we guard our hearts and stay away from corrupt speech? When we are tempted to gossip, how do we resist? Will it ever become easier? On our own, we may always struggle against the desires of our flesh. But in Romans 8:26, Paul says that “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.”
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). These “fruits” will help us guard our hearts against gossip and prioritize telling the truth that matters. Some days, we might need to lean into love, others we might need to lean into patience, kindness, or gentleness. Sometimes, we need some good ol’ self-control to just hold our tongues. In his sermon on Sunday, Jon shared a really helpful acronym we can use when trying to figure out if we’re speaking the T.R.U.T.H.:
T—Is it true?
H—Is it helpful?
I—Is it inspiring?
N—Is it necessary?
K—Is it kind?
REFLECTION
This week, when you have conversations with friends and family, take a moment to check your speech. Why are you sharing what you are sharing? Is it the T.R.U.T.H.? As simple as it might seem, this really is a helpful reminder. This week, if you find yourself tempted to gossip, ask God to guide your heart and your mind as you move forward. Pick one of the passages we’ve talked about this week and put it in front of you. Read it or even memorize it. Re-introduce God’s truth to your heart.
