Why Is Gossip Wrong?
“Knowledge is power, if you know it about the right person,” wrote Ethel Watts. Or, as Ivern Ball quipped, “A small town is a place where there is little to see or do, but what you hear makes up for it.”
In small towns or large cities, gossip wreaks havoc wherever it spreads. And it does spread, says Scott, 11: “A rumor is in all likelihood an expanded lie, which becomes larger as it goes along. A lot of rumors spread from jealous people who aren’t at peace with themselves and have a big mouth the size of a western African Safari Elephant.”
Thanks, Scott for being specific. Africans are quick to point out that their elephants are bigger than those in India. I’ve seen African elephants up close in the wild. Their sheer size and power will definitely get your attention.
Like a charging elephant, a tongue out of control can destroy, says Maddie, 11, who speaks from personal experience: “You can never take back the words you say. Once I was called a bad name in the 4th grade. It hurt me very bad, but I decided to go up and face the world.”
Way to go, Maddie. It takes courage to ignore gossip. The Lord takes care of those who entrust themselves to him. The Book of Proverbs is full of sayings about how those who lay a trap for a righteous person will be caught in it themselves.
The Bible says this about Jesus: “He did not retaliate when he was insulted. When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly” (I Peter 2:23).
If you gossip, you might find yourself living in fear like the boy who spread gossip about the sister of Kaci, 10: “My sister was hurt by some mean gossip at school. But the boy is too afraid to tell more gossip about her now because her boyfriend is 6’4”.
This is called the Terminator Method for controlling gossip. It’s very effective until the gossip gets a friend who’s 6’8”.
For permanent results, Karlyn, 11, recommends the Golden Rule. “God said do unto others as you would have done to you. We don’t like it when people are rude and start rumors about us. So we shouldn’t do that to others.”
Your tongue needs the Golden Rule because “it’s the most powerful thing you have,” says Holly, 10. The Bible compares the destructive potential of the tongue to a forest fire. A small spark, like a little gossip, seems insignificant. But if it falls into dry grass, it can burn down a forest of mammoth redwood trees hundreds of years old.
The Bible calls anyone who can bring the tongue under control “perfect” or “mature” (James 3:2). If you’re a woman looking for the perfect man or a man looking for Miss Right, ask yourself if God is in control of his or her words?
“Gossip is wrong because the Bible tells us not to let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, and we should build up people with our words, not tear them down,” says Jonathan, 12.
The Apostle Paul wrote that our words should “impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). The Bible is clear that eternal salvation comes to us by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that this kind of faith comes by hearing the Word of God. It’s humbling to realize that God allows us to impart grace to others through the words we speak.
Point to remember: Grace builds up, and gossip tears down.
Scripture to remember: “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:2).
Question to consider: Do your words build up or tear down?
Carey Kinsolving is a syndicated columnist, producer, author, speaker and website developer. To see more material like this, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. The Kids Talk About God website contains free, online content for children and families. See Carey’s Kid TV Interviews. Hear a book talk. Print free lessons from the "Kids Color Me Bible" and make your own book. Let an 11-year-old girl take you on a trip around the world in the Mission Explorers Streaming Video. Print Scripture verses illustrated by child artists. Receive a complimentary, weekly e-mail subscription to our Devotional Bible Lessons.
Bible quotations in this Bible lesson are from the New King James Version.
Copyright 2007 Carey Kinsolving