6
Gossip
| Bro Robert Lloyd ~ from ‘Minute Meditations’
“C
onversation is the oral exchange of
ideas. Gossip is the idle discussion of
the affairs of others. Great people talk about
ideas. Ordinary people talk about things.
Small people talk about other people.” This
quotation was copied down and given to us
after a discussion on the evils of gossip by a
dear brother who has since fallen asleep. The
truth expressed by these words is powerful.
Gossip is a wicked and harmful pastime in
which far too many have indulged.
It is so elevating to our own ego and self-
esteem to catch another in a fault and how we
like to dwell upon it! Christ really put a stop
to this sort of thing when he said, “He that is
without sin among you, let him first cast a
stone at her.” None of us are without sin and
none of us should talk about the faults of
others.
Paul soundly condemns those who are not only
idle, but tattlers also, and busybodies,
speaking things which they ought not. It is
interesting to notice that the tattlers and
busybodies are those who are idle. If they
would only go to work doing something
constructive, they wouldn’t have time to
gossip. This is why great people do not carry
tales. We cannot picture Jesus or Paul or Peter
bearing tales even if they were true and,
sadly, we realize that most gossip is greatly
distorted.
We know that David was a righteous man who
slipped. Do we feel that we would have been
justified in telling on the King of Israel if we
had known his sin? Isn’t it our duty to follow
Christ’s command and “Go and tell him his
fault between thee and him alone?” Usually
we find that when we do this, things are not
as we at first imagined and how fortunate that
the truth was learned before serious harm was
done.
It is possible to start a fire we cannot put out.
One little match can start a fire that consumes
a whole forest. James compares our tongue to
a fire saying, “The tongue is a fire, a world of
iniquity: so is the tongue among our members,
that it defileth the whole body.”
The real test is not only “Is it true?” for some
things should not be told. It must meet all the
tests of Paul before being repeated: it must be
honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report.
The Golden Rule should apply every bit as
much in the things we say as in the things we
do. There are some who are going to be kept
out of the kingdom just because they talked
too much. This comes on the authority of
Christ himself who said, “I say unto you that
every idle word that men shall speak, they
shall give account thereof in the day of
judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be
justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned.”
“May the words of my mouth be acceptable in
thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my
redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14).
S
o one more year has slipped away,
Now one year nearer to the day!
And yet we count it not delay;
‘Twas one more year to shape our way.
So, looking back, what gain have we,
what profit have our “talents” gained?
And thanks we give if some we see,
while sadly short of what we gained.
Yet praise to God, good hope remains,
His grace at hand to save and guide;
But we must now renew our aims to
copy him who for us died. We enter
then on one more year with firmer
step and quickened pace, determined
that our Master here may bless us as
we “win the race”!
2016
Into the New Year