The world is full of gossip…it’s everywhere. It’s not just at work anymore. With the use of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, gossip has spread like wildfire.
Eventually, someone is going to talk about you in a way that hurts and they most likely will not do it to your face. It may be something they say to a friend who just needs to make sure they tell you. It may be something they say on social media. Face it…it’s going to happen to you. Your first instinct might be to get revenge but we know that is not a Biblical response.
So how do you handle the drama and gossip in a Biblical way?
First, when someone wants to gossip to you about someone else tell them you’re not interested. I can tell you this…people who gossip about others to you will gossip about you to others.
What does scripture say about gossip? It says a lot! Here are three verses that address the issue of gossip:
Proverbs 20:19 says:
A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers.
Ephesians 4:29 says:
Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
How do you handle it when someone is talking about you? Let’s look at Matthew 18.
If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.
Sometimes people tell me this scripture doesn’t apply because no sin was committed. However, it’s usually the gossipers who say this. I think it’s very clear from the verses I just spoke about that gossip is sin.
So, dealing with drama and gossip is pretty straightforward in scripture. Proverbs makes it simple…don’t hang around with gossips. Second, if someone does gossip about you, go to them and follow the Matthew 18 principle. You might be surprised how much can be accomplished by talking with someone face to face.
It’s pretty evident that God dislikes gossip. Run from it, don’t be a part of it. Instead, as we read in Ephesians, Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
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