In a blog post on Desiring God this weekend, Pastor Cole Deike shares the ways we can “gossip like Jesus” instead of letting our tongues loose.

“For the apostle Paul, gossip is a type of demonic imputation. In his stunning letter written to the church in Philippi, he encourages the church towards unity with this remarkable command for humility: ‘In humility count others more significant than yourselves’ (Philippians 2:3).”

 

“The word ‘count’ in this text,” Deike expounds, “has a rich biblical history and an entire universe of meaning tightly-coiled within it: circle, highlight, and underline it. For instance, Paul uses the same root word when he says, ‘And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness’ (Romans 4:5).”

“When God speaks behind our backs, God the Son talks to God the Father about us in such a way that he sees us as perfectly righteous, not less righteous. That Christ talks on our behalf, behind our backs, is actually the basis of the good news!”

What gossip does is build up a case against other people, and spreading it is, as Pastor Deike puts it, “a type of amputation: a hacking off not of limbs or body parts, but of esteem and honor.”

Many of us are already aware of how gossip plays a destructive role in our lives. It hurts friends. It damages reputations. It exalts the wrong areas of other’s lives. That’s the high price we pay for a juicy conversation.

“This is not a passionate plea for Christians to “gossip” less, it’s a passionate plea for Christians to gossip better. If you’re going to gossip in your church, as Paul and James would agree, gossip like Jesus… Speak with a flavor that leaves the listener with a higher-view of that member… Talk about the fruit of their spiritual lives.”

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