"Is Gossip Really A Big Deal?"

May 20, 2024 | By Chuck

  According to Dictionary.com, gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others. Gossip is basically telling someone’s business to someone else. Gossip can be in the form of slander or reviling, both of which are speaking negatively of someone. Some believe if the gossip being shared is true, it’s not really gossip. This mindset leads some to wonder,  “Is gossip really a big deal?”

            Gossip is a big deal because gossip is a sin. We tend to view gossip as a lesser sin than the “big ones” like murder, divorce, or adultery. But, at the end of the day, gossip is still a sin and so it is a big deal. Gossip is hurtful to others. Gossip causes division and destroys relationships. Another fact about gossip is it never builds anyone up. As the Lord’s Church we should be in the business of encouraging and building people up with our words. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)

            Christians must know that gossip is a big deal and always avoid it. “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:13-14)