Gossip.

Tonight I caught the tail end of my church's High school intern speaking to the high school group on relationships and evangelism. A rhetorical question he posed was, 'will you be eternally influencing a friend if you're the guy always drunk at the party or the girl who gossips about everything?'

At first thought, I reasoned that I'm never going to parties, nor do I get drunk. But as I came to the girl-specific question, I stopped. Do I gossip? That is a tough question to answer. I like to think of myself as a loving and caring person and friend. I hardly ever think of myself as a gossip about strangers and definitely not about my dear friends. But this question had me pausing. Follow-up questions I asked myself, "what would those around you, observing you, label you as?" Are you the one always joining in on conversations about others not present? Do you share your dramatic opinion and version of your experience with the crazy lady in the store (and all the assumptions you've made about her)?

Yes. I would HAVE to answer yes to all the follow up questions. I'm not sure what people see me as- I'm not quite sure if they would label me a gossip, but I do know that it is in my flesh to speak ill about the person who cut me off on the way to work, and to share with my best friends about the most recent couple that just came out on the facebook scene. And while some of those conversations probably aren't the best to be having, my biggest concern is when my gossiping affects the body. There are two heavy ways it can affect the body. It can damage and tear apart the already existing body, or it can prevent the body from growing and developing by adding new believers.

This question hurt me because as I drove home tonight, I thought of a conversation that I had with a friend earlier today about another friend that we both care deeply about. However, we have been quick to judge the recent behavior and actions of this friend, and our comments were not uplifting. If they had been overheard by this friend, they could have injured the already existing body. But even when gossip is not overheard by the person being talked about, it DOES still affect the body! For the two of us having the conversation, it separated, divided and destroyed unity between us two and him. In our speech, we lumped him with a stereotype; placing him far away from us and our 'amazingness'.

WHAT BOLOGNA!

We are ALL works in progress. He is simply a sinner, who continues to sin, saved by grace, being taught grace, being loved by God and washed in the blood of Jesus.

I am simply a sinner, who continues to sin, saved by grace, being taught grace, being loved by God and washed in the blood of Jesus.

There is no difference. We are the same. God looks on us with patience and love. He sees Christ's sacrifice and perfect offering atoning for my punishment. He sees the same when he looks at this individual.

God has told me what the body is to be. He has given me his word on how it is supposed to look, operate, move, and exist as one. When I gossip, when I chose to belittle or judge or stereotype another member of Christ's body, I not only affect the eternal impact I have on those around me, but I also deeply wound and divide the body based on our own actions. Actions that if truly judged fairly would merit me eternal damnation.

How dare I!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says: "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.

Just as our physical bodies should be honoring to God, we should do so to our spiritual bodies. We were bought at a price. I want to honor God in my speech and my actions. I want to honor the body- build it up and not destroy it. I don't want to berate it with sarcastic humor, or speculation. I want to actively love my brothers and sisters by lavishing them with good words, praise, prayer, and gifts. I want to pour out my cup into the body. When a non-believer sees a part of the body loving on the other parts this way, it will draw in new believers and naturally grow bigger and stronger. I want to be thankful for the life I chose to live now when the day of judgement arrives. Choosing to deny my fleshly desires to gossip is one practical way to chose to honor God and be thankful for the ways I chose to live my life.

Thank you Caden for posing this question. The Spirit has used it as food for thought.