This podcast is a repost, was originally published on September 1, 2017.

Series: Danger of Gossip

As children of God, we must stay away from gossip and slander. Let’s look at the consequences of gossip.

We all know the above verse to be true. Gossip can damage and destroy a person. It is dangerously powerful and can be the reason for dividing friends. No matter how strong your friendship is, if there are people gossiping around you, it’s just a matter of time before gossip separates you.

The devil plants seeds of strife and puts thoughts in your life that separate you from God. In the same way, a gossiper (sometimes unintentionally) puts thoughts and statements into conversations that brings strife that can separate the best of friends.

We must keep our eyes open for such trouble makers and we must avoid being that trouble maker. Be careful when you are giving facts about someone. Ask yourself if your words will cause someone to fight or if it will bring peace. Will you be a troublemaker or a peacemaker? Matthew Chapter 5 says “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God”.

Jesus was a peacemaker. He came to make peace between us and God. We should have the same character in us. When you see someone fighting or in desperate need of help, don’t add to the strife. Instead, stand by them and help them make peace. Speak with compassion and try to bring them back together.

It doesn’t matter how nice or good you are, you don’t have the liberty to be naive. Married couples are often naive about trouble makers in their marriage and they allow negative people to sow seeds of strife. These seeds can bring cracks into a marriage and has the capacity to tear it apart at a later stage.

You should have the audacity and the strength to disconnect from those seeds and be determined to not let it have any power over your thoughts and relationship. We cannot always disconnect from such trouble makers because God has called us to live in peace. You have to be dead to those seeds. Sometimes the trouble makers in marriage can be parents or in laws. We can still honor and love them but keep a distance from the seeds.

If we allow gossip to get into our homes, it can separate the best of relationships. We pray that you will run as far away as possible from gossip and if there is any gossip in you, you would run away from it as well.