Proverbs Day 11

Proverbs 11:9 ~

Dishonest people use gossip
to destroy their neighbors;
good people are protected
by their own good sense.


(Contemporary English Version)

Gossip. Even the word makes me want to vomit. I hate that word so much because I've experienced first-hand, the damage it causes. I've had more than my share of dishonest people spreading gossip to destroy our family's reputation. I'm sure many have experienced this because there's no shortage of gossipers out there to do the job.

To gossip is to have a conversation involving malicious chatter or rumours about other people. That's the dictionary's definition, not mine. Therefore, by definition, there's nothing harmless about it, like some people think. Stay out of the grapevine. There's no honesty or truth there. Just speculation and opinion. It never produces good.

We've had people confront us over gossip they heard about us and they were so far off target, it was laughable. But it wasn't funny, because people form opinions on what they hear, whether it's true or not. Believe it or not, we couldn't convince these people with truth, they chose instead to cling to the rumor they heard. This, my friend, is why you must not concern yourself with the opinions of man. You can't control what others choose to think of you, no matter how much good you try to do. More importantly, don't pass judgment on others based on what you hear. Only God knows the heart. ONLY GOD.

But look at the provision in the second part of that verse. Despite what people might be saying about you behind your back, know that God's got your back. He hears every word. He has ways of protecting you from the harm intended. He keeps a hedge about you. I can testify to that, too!

According to Matthew 12:36-37, Jesus said "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

We should all take serious heed to that. Don't be any part of gossip. Close your ears and your mouth when it tries to come near you. Staying and listening is as bad as participating, because words have power. Every word that is spoken activates something in the spiritual realm. If you hear it, it will enter your mind and you may start to believe something you didn't mean to. This is satan's greatest and most effective tool. He doesn't have to do a thing other than plant a seed in someone's thoughts, for it to spread like wildfire, because people love to talk, especially if it seems "juicy."

Well, for those who choose to indulge, be forewarned. What tastes juicy in the moment will eventually turn bitter.