The Church Has a Gossip Problem

The longer I'm in ministry, the more convinced I become that one of the greatest sins we tolerate in the church is gossip.

•Not adultery.
•Not drunkenness.
•Not theft.
•Gossip.

The scary part is that most Christians don't even recognize it anymore. Social media has changed everything.

We see a post and immediately think we have the right to discuss it. We see a video and think we have permission to share it. We hear an accusation and think it's our responsibility to spread it.

Somewhere along the way, Christians started believing that if information is public, it's fair game. It isn't.

Just because something is posted online doesn't mean God gave us permission to repeat it. Just because a pastor failed doesn't mean we need to broadcast it. Just because a church is struggling doesn't mean we need to talk about it. Just because a rumor has thousands of shares doesn't mean we need to add one more.

I've watched believers spend hours discussing the failures of people they've never met. I've watched Christians repost accusations they never verified. I've watched people destroy reputations with a keyboard while convincing themselves they were standing for truth.
Brothers and sisters, that's not discernment.

That's gossip.

The Bible has a lot more to say about our words than most of us want to admit.
Proverbs 16:28 says, "A perverse man sends out strife, And a whisperer separates close companions."

Notice what gossip does.
•It divides.
•It damages.
•It destroys trust.
•It separates people.

That's why Satan loves it so much. And today, social media has become one of his favorite tools. What once spread through a phone call now spreads to thousands in seconds. What once stayed inside a church now circles the globe before the facts are even known.

And sadly, many Christians are helping spread it.

Can I ask a hard question?

When was the last time you shared something negative about someone that you weren't part of the solution for? When was the last time you reposted something without knowing the full story? When was the last time you disguised gossip as a prayer request?

We've all done it.

I've done it.

And we need to repent of it.

Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupt word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear."

Imagine what social media would look like if Christians actually obeyed that verse.

•What if we stopped feeding on controversy?
•What if we stopped acting like spiritual reporters?
•What if we stopped sharing every accusation, every scandal, every rumor, and every failure?
•What if we became known for extending grace instead of spreading gossip?
•The church doesn't need more people talking about each other.
•The church needs more people praying for each other.
•The church doesn't need more critics.
•The church needs more peacemakers.

Before you share that next post, ask yourself a simple question:
Is this building up the body of Christ, or am I simply helping spread someone else's failure?
The answer to that question might reveal more about our hearts than we want to admit.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Jody