Gossiping
“Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” Proverbs 26:20
Do you remember the last time you had a campfire? For some of you, it might have been with your cabin last summer at camp. But regardless of where it was and even though I was not there, I do know one thing for sure. In order for you to keep your fire burning, you had to add wood. Without wood, the fire died out. The same is true of gossip. Gossip to an argument is just like adding wood to a fire. It adds fuel to the flames!
A heated argument will usually die down on its own after a little while. But if someone gossips about the argument, it adds fuel to the fire. When you are angry, why is it so tempting to gossip about the argument or the other person? Perhaps you want others to understand your point of view, so you gossip. You might want others to take your side, so you gossip. Or you could possibly want others to justify what you have done, so you gossip.
But the truth of the matter is that without gossip, a quarrel will die down. The lesson should be clear! KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Ephesians 4:29 tells us “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Gossiping is neither wholesome nor is it helpful for building others up! And it prolongs the argument! So why do we do it?
Make the commitment today to make gossiping a thing of your past. Gossiping might make you feel better for a second, but in the end it only makes things worse. You can choose to fill your bucket with water or with fuel. The choice is up to you. My prayer today is that you will think before you speak and refrain from any form of gossip!