- Nov 3, 2005
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It's one of the ten commandments - "Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20).
But, I want to take it further than that.
How many of us have passed along information thinking (I'm not bearing false witness) because you believe it to be true but do not know it to be true?
If you FWD: information from a third party about someone else and you are NOT 100% certain of the information you are passing a long, then you are in danger of false witnessing.
Now some of you might think, well I KNOW this to be true and so it is not "bearing false witness". Well don't forget the second greatest commandment is "Love your neighbor as yourself," so wouldn't you be breaking that one as well by talking about folks?
And we've ALL done people wrong whether it's just a bad day or a bad attitud in general.
Perhaps you've recently been guilty of sharing a "secret" that was just too good not to share. Or perhaps you have without thinking passed along information which you couldn't be certain was true.
We probably have never heard gossip about our selves and thought...well I don't mind that gossip because it's true.
So I challenge you for the next 30 days to be gossip free. 30 days should be enough of a beginning to be come a habit for the long term.
Other statements made from the Bible in regards to gossip:
"They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:29b-32).
"Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to" (1 Timothy 5:12-13).
"A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret" (Proverbs 11:12-13).
"A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends" (Proverbs 16:28).
"A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts" (Proverbs 18:7-8).
"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much" (Proverbs 20:19).
"A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will [perish] not go free" (Proverbs 19:5).
Remember: The righteous will overtake the house of the wicked and bring them to ruin (Proverbs 21:12). Those who guard their mouths and tongues keep themselves from calamity (Proverbs 21:23).
Today, I challenge the women and men to pray about this human weakness.
If you would like to join this challenge, please pray this prayer in agreement with me.
After you say that prayer, you have made a commitment for 30 days to cease from gossip. I would like you to come back to this thread and honeslty report your success or confess your failures and repent and try again if necessary. This way we can be accountable throughout the day for as much as you frequent this site.
Your sister in Christ,
imissedu.
As you sign up, I will keep an ongoing list of who has joined the challenge.
Note: There is obviously a difference between innocently sharing information and "gossiping". In your heart, I believe we all know the difference.
For me the way I differentiate is to say, "would this person mind me repeating this about her/him to so n so". For instance, Monica wouldn't mind me saying she just graduated from college - that is positive and uplifting of her but Monica might mind me saying that she got knocked up that last semester and has a baby due in 8 months. The latter part I can keep to myself. If your motive for sharing information is fleshly, malicious, impure then don't share. If you want to lift them up in prayer, do it. If you want to include someone else say, I have so n so on my heart, please say a prayer for them. You don't have to go into detail, God will know what it is about and you will keep a clean conscience.
But, I want to take it further than that.
How many of us have passed along information thinking (I'm not bearing false witness) because you believe it to be true but do not know it to be true?
If you FWD: information from a third party about someone else and you are NOT 100% certain of the information you are passing a long, then you are in danger of false witnessing.
Now some of you might think, well I KNOW this to be true and so it is not "bearing false witness". Well don't forget the second greatest commandment is "Love your neighbor as yourself," so wouldn't you be breaking that one as well by talking about folks?
And we've ALL done people wrong whether it's just a bad day or a bad attitud in general.
Perhaps you've recently been guilty of sharing a "secret" that was just too good not to share. Or perhaps you have without thinking passed along information which you couldn't be certain was true.
We probably have never heard gossip about our selves and thought...well I don't mind that gossip because it's true.
So I challenge you for the next 30 days to be gossip free. 30 days should be enough of a beginning to be come a habit for the long term.
Other statements made from the Bible in regards to gossip:
"They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:29b-32).
"Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to" (1 Timothy 5:12-13).
"A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret" (Proverbs 11:12-13).
"A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends" (Proverbs 16:28).
"A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts" (Proverbs 18:7-8).
"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much" (Proverbs 20:19).
"A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will [perish] not go free" (Proverbs 19:5).
Remember: The righteous will overtake the house of the wicked and bring them to ruin (Proverbs 21:12). Those who guard their mouths and tongues keep themselves from calamity (Proverbs 21:23).
Today, I challenge the women and men to pray about this human weakness.
If you would like to join this challenge, please pray this prayer in agreement with me.
After you say that prayer, you have made a commitment for 30 days to cease from gossip. I would like you to come back to this thread and honeslty report your success or confess your failures and repent and try again if necessary. This way we can be accountable throughout the day for as much as you frequent this site.
Your sister in Christ,
imissedu.
As you sign up, I will keep an ongoing list of who has joined the challenge.
Note: There is obviously a difference between innocently sharing information and "gossiping". In your heart, I believe we all know the difference.
For me the way I differentiate is to say, "would this person mind me repeating this about her/him to so n so". For instance, Monica wouldn't mind me saying she just graduated from college - that is positive and uplifting of her but Monica might mind me saying that she got knocked up that last semester and has a baby due in 8 months. The latter part I can keep to myself. If your motive for sharing information is fleshly, malicious, impure then don't share. If you want to lift them up in prayer, do it. If you want to include someone else say, I have so n so on my heart, please say a prayer for them. You don't have to go into detail, God will know what it is about and you will keep a clean conscience.
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