The Gossip Mill - Lisa Clark

Psalm 39:1

"I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth..."

I had an hour, long phone conversation with a mom this week heartbroken over recent events involving her college- aged son.  The conversation began like this…”Hi Lisa, can you pray for me?”

Through her sobs, I understood she needed prayer and the only other person she knew to call for prayer was unavailable.  At that moment, I thanked the Lord for literally clearing my schedule an hour before.  I now knew why He cleared it.

We prayed for her and her son.  We prayed for their family and their future.  We prayed for protection and faith during these troubled times.  We prayed for joy and peace to come be with them and engulf them during these days.  We prayed for God’s will to be done through and in them all.  We prayed that God would be glorified and that their family would be strengthened.  We prayed that the truth be revealed.  And soon.

And we prayed that the gossip would cease.  Gossip.  It kills.  It destroys.  It burns through families and wreaks absolute havoc.  Oh that we would stop spewing gossip.   How can we share news about someone when we weren’t there and have no first account knowledge of actually what took place? But we do.  All the time.  No other word for it but gossip.

Mom, we have to model a bridled tongue for our children so that they can see that is possible to use our tongue for good and not for evil.  The rest of the world is using their tongue to say whatever comes out, giving no thought to repercussions or damage to be done.  Just say it if you feel it.  Just say it if you think it.  Just say it if it will make you feel better about yourself.  Just say it if you’ll get a laugh.  Just say it. 

For the believer, we have to understand that we are accountable for every word that comes out of our mouth.  So, our response to gossip should be, “Lord, I lift this situation to you and pray for your will to be done.  I pray you bridle my tongue against repeating this at the risk of hurting someone or spreading something that is untrue.  I want my tongue to be used to spread truth in love.  How can I say something evil in one moment, and praise your name in the next? So protect my mind and my mouth, Lord.  Amen.”

The next time you hear something about such and such…Ask God how He wants you to respond to this.  Most assuredly He wants you to pray for this family.  If our first response to gossip is prayer, then we are on the right track.  If it’s to tell…then…