Keeping Confidence

What is a gossip? One person said, “Gossip is when you say something about someone else that you wouldn’t say in front of that person.” Another person said, “Gossip is also sharing someone else’s news that isn’t ours to share.” All through Scripture it is clear that we need to guard our tongues and not gossip. We are encouraged to use our mouths to nourish and build up, rather than tearing down.

This is a challenge to me, to make sure that I do not participate in gossip. I want to be a trustworthy person. I want to be someone that people can share their problems with so that I can pray with them, without them worrying that I will go and talk about them to others. If they are hearing me talking about other people, they will not want to trust me. If we are going to be the body of Christ, encouraging each other, then we need to make sure that we are not gossiping. We need to guard our conversations with others, and also have the boldness to speak out when others are engaging in gossip around us.

The good news is that we don’t have to do this in our own strength! We can pray the prayer that David prayed in Psalm 141:3 ‘Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.’ Let’s ask God to guard our mouths, so that we can be trustworthy people, building each other up in love.

Prayer: Lord, please set a guard on my mouth. Show me when I am tempted to enter into gossip and help me to be a trustworthy person who encourages others. Please give me wisdom to also speak out if others are gossiping around me, that our words be edifying, rather than tearing down.