1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Don’t gossip about people behind their back. It’s not godly. If someone has done something wrong, don’t go telling everybody you can find.
I used to be a big gossiper. But when I found the scripture in Proverbs 11:13, I was convicted. It says, “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”
Whoa, would you look at that? I’m convicted again! I’ve been on both ends of gossip. I have gossiped, and been gossiped about. What really hurts is when you hear someone gossiping about you, and you can’t do anything about it.
The answer is not to get upset, and don’t repay them by gossiping about them. I once went through an extremely hard situation where someone I knew was gossiping about me. It really hurt, because I would hear it happen time and time again. But I didn’t barge in to the room and tell them off, I stayed where I was and asked God to forgive them.
Believe me, this wasn’t easy. It took guts, and a lot of determination. But now that person and I have a great relationship, even closer than before.
Do you think that if I had gossiped about them in return, would I have the same result?
I know what it’s like to be on both ends of the gossip train. I can tell you that it doesn’t make me feel good to gossip about someone, and it makes me feel even worse when I am gossiped about.