No Gossip Zone! Part 1

GOSSIPING- Prating; chatting; running from place to place and tattling.
What is gossiping? I think most people think they know the answer to this question. They think that gossiping is telling bad things or possibly even untrue things about someone in order to make him look bad. The Webster's 1828 Dictionary (deemed as the best dictionary by many scholars) is quite a bit more in depth in defining gossip. First of all it starts with the word "prating."  Now we need another definition! 

PRATING- Talking much on a trifling subject; talking idly. Wow! According to that definition, gossip is talking about things that really have no point. What does God's Word say about prating?



Proverbs 10:10
He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a PRATING fool shall fall. 
Proverbs 10:8
The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a PRATING fool shall fall. 
3 John 1:10
Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, PRATING against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth [them] out of the church.

     III John 1:10 is speaking of Diotrophes, a member of the church that the Apostle John tried to help. Who of us wouldn't have loved to have learned from the Apostle John? Imagine what God could have done through the Apostle John if the people would have let him. Diotrophes refused to accept John; not only did he refuse to accept John, but he prated against John. Now look at the defintion of prating again. The devil has a way of making malicious talk seem like idle talk; like trifling talk. If you are communicating with someone who is, according to the Bible, a "prating fool" you may not even know that you have been infected with the venom of their gossip until it is too late. They seem to be talking about every day life, and BAM all of a sudden you have heard their gossip and instead of thinking on things that are pure and holy and true, your mind is wondering, "Is that true? Is that how things are? Is he really like that? Is she really like that?"  Seeds of distrust are so easily sewn and are nearly impossible to get rid of. Women who really want to be used of God must guard their own mouths from prating and must guard themselves from those who go about prating.
      How do we keep ourselves from becoming what God calls a prating fool?

 Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE TRUE, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.

     First of all, God tells us what we should be thinking on. Should we be dwelling on the offenses? Should we be mulling over the negatives? No. We should be meditating on that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely; we should be thinking of good reports; our thoughts should be virtuous. Do we have anything to be thankful for? Praise God for it! All of those are the things we should be thinking on. Will thinking like this cause us to be nervous? Will thinking on these things drive us to drink? Will we need to take a chill pill when we think on what God tells us to think on? What we think on  will be what comes out of our mouths:

Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART his mouth speaketh.

 

A famous quote says, " Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people." 

 

A mature Christian woman has a few other things to talk about fortunately. She can talk about the blessings of God in her life. She can talk about her latest soul-winning experience. She can talk about God's Word. She can talk about the work of the church. She can talk about the beauty of nature. She can talk about her newest recipe. She can talk about what her wonderful husband has most recently done for her or with her. She can talk about her kids good grades or their good qualities. She can talk about her hobbies. She can talk about her pets. Oh, the list goes on and on!!


     Let us fill our heads with the good things of God in order that pleasing words easily flow from our mouths!