Gossip and slander is a heart issue at the root. This means that if we are tempted ourselves to pass on true or false information about another person, we must be prepared to honestly ask, “Lord, what is going on in my heart right now? Why am I tempted to gossip about and/or slander this person? What is the root issue here? My pride? My ego? My desire to get revenge? My hunger for other people’s approval? Lord, what is going on in my heart?”
One of my favorite authors, Jerry Bridges, wrote a book several years ago called Respectable Sins. In this book, he essentially addresses different types of sins that are somewhat “respectable” to most Christians in our day. Meaning, these are sins that are often viewed as minor sins, sins that are not serious enough to be confronted and dealt with in the same way as more serious sins. Respectable sins are sins we typically don’t really address within the walls of the church. Knowingly or unknowingly, we just let them slide.
As Bridges describes, there are big sins that of course we as Christians deal with quickly and unapologetically. The problem is, in the eyes of God, in light of His holiness, these “respectable sins” are just as evil. Yet for some reason we’re comfortable with these. We aren’t bothered by them. Why is this?
One of the primary reasons is because most of us are guilty of them. We are living with these sins, and we don’t have a problem with them. Not really. We have become desensitized to them. Perhaps, we have come to justify them.
Two of these “respectable sins” are slander and gossip. Because these sins are so prominent in our culture, and so prominent in our churches, we are oblivious to their seriousness. We are oblivious to the ways in which they are an offense to God Himself.
Proverbs 18:7 says, “A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul.”
Ruin. Snare. These words are weighty. They should put some fear into us. To think that our hearts could become desensitized to the seriousness of slander and gossip? That slander and gossip could become so acceptable to us and to those around us that we are virtually numb to them? This is a scary thought. How dangerous to our souls!
Consider what Proverbs 6:12-14 says about slander and gossip. This passage tells us that an ungodly person “goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord.” It’s a pretty accurate picture. It’s pretty harsh. Continually sowing discord, division, confusion through crooked speech, this is a perfect recipe for bringing dissension to the body of Christ.
Satan loves this.
Some people love it too.
And sometimes, sadly, those people are you and me.
So, the practical question then is, how do we fight against gossip and slander?