Given that gossip is so destructive, and we are so readily inclined to participate in it, how can we put a stop to its pernicious power over us? Proverbs provides us with two helpful pieces of wisdom to help us quash the power of gossip.
Watch What You Say
“Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down” (Proverbs 26:20). The first way to avoid the destructive effects of gossip is to watch what you say. Like a fire among dry kindling, gossip has a voracious appetite. But if we refuse to pass on gossip, we effectively stop its advance, for gossip can only destroy if it is continually fueled.
We must refuse to be the next link in the gossip chain, the next bit of fuel that builds the flame higher. To stop the power of gossip, we need to bridle our tongues by watching what we say.
Watch What You Eat
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Proverbs 18:8). Imagine the first few bites of an excellent meal at your favorite restaurant. These are choice morsels—so appealing you can’t wait to dig in, and
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