05.02.03 The 1st Consequence of Participating in Negative Gossip

1. Putting God ‘Out of One’s Picture’

The primary reason for avoiding participating in negative gossip is simple. God resents the vice so much that he struck a highly esteemed prophetess, Miriam, with leprosy, after catching her and her brother Aaron red-handed, gossiping against their younger sibling Moses (Numbers 12). By the way, Miriam is the only prophet that God ever smote with the debilitating disease; which serves to show just how immensely God detests the vice. In other words, negative gossip can alienate a person from God and the blessings that the individual is entitled to.

In Leviticus 19:16, God’s stand on gossip is clear cut. That verse reads (AMPC): You shall not go up and down as a dispenser of gossip…. Then, Psalm 101:5 asserts the repercussions of engaging in the vice. It says (CEV): Anyone who spreads gossip will be silenced, … As if that is not enough, 2 Timothy 2:16 warns that those who indulge in godless chatter become increasingly ungodly.

Our JuaLink story highlights how the ‘gossip-infested Lulu’ and her clique put God ‘out of their picture’ by instigating that He had promoted the publicity officer to the position of ‘publicity manager’, when knowing full-well that it was their ‘negative gossip’ that had moved Lulu up the ranks. Since God did not have a hand in that promotion, JuaLink’s business plummeted as soon as Lulu got into that managerial position. That was enough evidence to show that the ‘work of the officer’s hands’ was far from being blessed by the God she claimed to worship.

In Psalm 50, God refers to gossipers as ‘wicked’. See what some selected verses in that scripture say (CEV): ⁷My people, I am God!.. Listen to my charges against you. ⁸Although you offer sacrifices and always bring gifts, ⁹I won't accept your offerings of bulls and goats. ...¹⁶But to the wicked I say: ²⁰ “...you sat around gossiping, ruining the reputation of your own relatives.” ²¹When you did all this, I didn't say a word, and you thought, “God is just like us!” But now I will accuse you. ²²You have ignored me! So pay close attention or I will tear you apart, and no one can help you.