Don and Wendy Francisco Articles

Gossip, The OK Sin
Well this is a funny thing, but gossip does seem to slip under the radar in many Churches.

Just what is gossip, anyway? Gossiping is speaking negatively about others behind their backs because we imagine we have something to gain by it. Gossip can be a lie or it can be the truth. Gossip has a hidden agenda.

It takes deep self-honesty to uncover the reasons why we are speaking negatively about someone else. Sometimes it happens when we feel threatened, fearful, or jealous. Sometimes it happens when we are hurt. Sometimes it happens when we want to be in control. Sometimes it happens because we want to appear to know the "inside scoop".

None of these reasons are good reasons to gossip. Scripture says we have the power of life and death in our tongues. To gossip is to exercise the power of death.

Gossip is destructive to the victim, the hearers, and especially to the gossiper. Gossip leaves the lips, and then makes a circle and bites the gossiper in the bawtooski. Gossip is just not a good way to get ahead in life.

Gossip is a great way to climb man made religious ladders, and to ensure you get to the top first and stay there. The problem is that these ladders are worthless to God.

It's better to climb back down and start loving people in spite of their faults... to serve, to give people the benefit of the doubt, and, if you really do have a problem, to go to that person first and talk honestly and courageously face to face.

We can't be like Jesus by talking about those who we think are not like Jesus.