False Reports

• Why do you think it is so hard to stop gossip from spreading after it has started?

• How can you avoid gossiping?

“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.”
Exodus 23:1

To gossip means to share someone else’s personal details with others, often without knowing if the details are true. People who gossip want attention, so they often exaggerate, sensationalize or simply create the gossip from scratch in order to get more attention.

Gossip hurts people. God doesn’t want us to hurt people. He wants us to control our tongues and to think before we speak. Just imagine how you would feel if you learned that people were discussing the personal details of your life — and not even getting them right!

There are several ways to avoid gossiping. The best way is to simply physically walk away. You can make quite a statement without saying a word. If this is not possible, put a hand up and say, “Please stop.” You don’t have to say anything else. If the gossiper is a Christian, you could say something like, “It sounds like this person needs some prayer support. We should pray for them right now.” You can stop a gossiper in their tracks.

PRAYER
Dear God, please forgive us for the gossiping we’ve done in the past, and help us to not gossip in the future. Amen.