Why Is Gossip Wrong?
We know that gossip is wrong. It is wrong to talk bad about someone behind their back, or perhaps to spread rumors. And yet, we must have a helpful definition of what gossip is if we are to rightly understand it.
Gossip is talking about a person behind their back the way you would never talk about them to their face. It is known by the sudden hush when that persons walks in the room.
How serious is gossip? See what the God of the Scriptures likens it to:
“You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD,” (Leviticus 19:16, ESV).
The reason why God equates gossip with murder is because gossip and slander are the murdering of someone’s reputation.
The Hearing of Gossip
We know gossip is wrong, but here in 1 Corinthians 13:7, the Apostle informs us that it is unloving, and thus sinful towards your neighbor, to hear gossip.
Hearing with the ear is as guilty as speaking with the tongue. Paul says that love “believes all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7, ESV).
This is not a gullible faith. Instead, Christian love believes the best, looks for the best, constructs the best understanding of a person.
When a brother is accused, our love for them must be: “Oh him? That can’t be true.”
Instead of eating up the gossip and juicy morsels, love seeks to believe the best about them. Our heart’s inclination is to reject slander and tearing down one’s character.
Proverbs 17:4, “An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.” The Bible places guilt upon the gossip columnist and the reader that believes!
We must be quick to disbelieve without credible evidence. As Christians, our ears must be first tone deaf to gossip and slander against our brothers in Christ.
The Rejection of Gossip
What prompts this believing? Why do we reject gossip?
If Christ died to secure their salvation, do we have the gall to help murder their reputation? Jesus sought him, shall we destroy him?
Our ears must be fine-tuned to love the image of Christ in our brothers. We are quick to defend family — how much more must we defend the children of God!
As Christians, we must have a blockage between our ear and our heart. Our first inclination must be to reject gossip rather than to register gossip.
Love desires to simply treat others the way you would want to be treated (Luke 6:31). Wouldn’t it be better to be proved wrong believing the best about our brother rather than proved wrong because we believed the worst about them?
By grace, may we stand up for the reputation of our neighbor. May the end of accusations end in our ears. If Christ has come to purchase their life, may we be quick to defend and see the best in it.
