WhY & hOw?

How do you go from LOVING a person to hating them at the same time? I truly do not understand. How soon do we forget? How can you go from loving someone to slandering their name all over the city, coming up with every negative comment you can think of, and dragging them through the dirt every chance you get. (Matthew 7:1-5). Nobody is perfect (and that includes YOU), but when you know the VERY HEARTBEAT of someone…and that someone did nothing but provoke you into the wonderful person that you are…how can you go from LOVE to hate in a matter of about 60 seconds? Is it not in the Bible that if you are at odds with someone to go to them and work it out? I truly do not understand people these days and how they can join any NAYSAYER and how they can go from God wonderful child to claiming to be a child of GOD and a naysayer at the very same time. (James 1:6-8). Be a woman or a man about it, and just go to the person who you are at odds with and talk it out.




Check this out below:



(http://www.christinyou.net/pages/gossip.html)



GOSSIP



I. Various words used in Scripture.



A. Hebrew word rakil

Lev. 19:16 - “you shall not go about as a slanderer”

Prov. 11:13 - “he who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets”

Prov. 20:19 - “he who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets”

Jere. 6:28 - “rebellious, going about as a talebearer”

Jere. 9:4 - “goes about as a slanderer”

B. Greek word psithurismos - “to whisper” - psst

Rom. 1:29 - filled with unrighteousness, full of deceit, gossips, slanderers”

II Cor. 12:20 - “slanderers, gossip..”

C. Greek word phluarus - “to babble”

I Tim. 5:13 - “gossips and busybodies”

D. Greek word diabolos - “to throw through, to slander”

I Tim. 3:11 - “malicious gossips”

II Tim. 3:3 - “malicious gossips”

Titus 2:3 - “malicious gossips”



II. Defining gossip.



A. To spread secrets or rumors - Prov. 11:13; 20:19

B. False accusations, slander

C. To reveal personal facts about another.

1. “Did you know…?” “Have you heard…?”

2. What information about others is legitimately passed on to others?



III. Biblical evaluation of gossip.



A. Antithesis of righteousness - Lev. 19:16; Prov. 11:9; Rom. 1:29

B. Antithesis of faithfulness - Prov. 11:13

C. Product of corrupt mind - Rom. 1:28

D. Used by wicked people - Jere. 6:28

E. Stirs up trouble - Jere. 9:4

F. Breaks relationships - Prov. 11:9; 16:28

G. Causes anger - Prov. 25:23

H. Epidemic among those who do not know God - Rom. 1:28-32; II Cor. 12:20; II Tim. 3:3

I. Gossip is sin - diabolic - contrary to character of God

1. ego-enhancing - tear others down to build self up

2. comparison



IV. Gossip in the midst of Christian community.



A. Violates and dissipates “community of trust” in Body of Christ.

B. Destructive, divisive

C. Done subtlely under pretense of prayer requests

D. Church discipline sometimes necessary



V. Avoiding gossip.



A. Love does not act unbecomingly - I Cor. 13:5

B. Choose your mind-set - Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:2

1. Old saying:

”Simple people talk about other people.

Average people talk about things.

Wise people talk about ideas.”

C. Do not say anything about another person that you would not be willing to say to directly.

D. How should we respond when someone begins to gossip?

1. Don’t participate

2. Avoid - Prov. 20:19

3. Change subject

4. Confront



VI. Practical considerations of passing information about another.



A. Letters of recommendation.

B. Preaching illustrations.

C. Counseling confidentiality.

D. Those in positions of authority.