You like to think that you always tell the truth. And that you do not stretch the truth. Not even a little bit. That is all well and done, but the fact is that it is not true. At times, you do stretch the truth. You may like it, when you do, but it is a reality.
Not telling the truth is bad enough, but it is even worse when you’re spreading gossip about someone else. Yes, the gossip you share may be true or may not be true. It really does not matter that much. The fact that you talk about others in an unfavorable light, needs to stop. “The order of service at a church in Red Cloud, Nebraska, listed the sermon topic ‘Gossip.’ Immediately following was the hymn, ‘I Love to Tell the Story.’” Ha! You can get a good chuckle out of that! Sorry to say, there is a lot of truth in that story. When you do gossip, you do love to tell that story about someone else, even though it is gossip.
The Bible says a lot about the way you should talk about others, especially those in the family of God. No matter who you are talking to, or who you are talking about, you should only say words that are edifying about them. One Scripture that addresses this matter is: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6; NKJV). In other words, keep your conversation about other people in such a way that it builds them up and does not tear them down.
So yes, tell the truth and the whole truth about others. Do so in such a way, that you speak favorably about them. You know you have gossiped about someone in the past. Keep gossip in the past. Bury it. And keep it buried. “Let your speech always be with grace.” Do so every day!
