Rumors & Gossip, By Jamie B.

Rumors & Gossip

By Jamie B.

Have you ever noticed how many rumors you here in just one day?
You may not think what you're hearing is a rumor, but The American Hetitage Dictionary defines the word rumor as:
 ru·mor n.
1. A piece of unverified information of uncertain origin usually spread by word of mouth.
2. Unverified information received from another; hearsay.
This means that anything that you hear about someone that doesn't come out of their mouth is a rumor. Also, gossip is announced as a synonym to rumor. The bible clearly states in many places that gossip and people who gossip are both very wrong.
The Bible states that gossiping is evil: Psalm 34:13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
The words of a gossip will ruin friendships and lives:
Proverbs 18:8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.
Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
The Bible clearly states that any gossip will betray confidence and can't be trusted- Do you want to be defined as that by God's Holy Word? However, the Bible also gives information about what will happen after gossip stops: Proverbs 26:20 Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.
The Bible sets clear rules about not gossiping: Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
And His Word also informs about what will happen when He comes back, and what he fears:
2 Corinthians 12:20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
Lastly, in the book of Psalm, David is asking "Lord, who will get into your house?" Psalm 15:1-3 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart 3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman.
These are the verses that talk about gossiping. What God thinks of it (Evil), What it can do to lives and friendships (Destroy Them!), The rules about gossiping (Don't Do It!!!!), and The consequences.
The Lord says that no man who does wrong to his neighbor and says wrong things about him will be able to house in his sanctuary; He says that we have to speak the truth from our hearts, and if we do not, we will be judged by him.
Next time you hear your friend spreading rumors, now that you know the true definition of rumor, ask her to stop, politely tell her what she's doing, and give her these scriptures to guide her.
All of these verses were found in the New International Version