And the last one I will leave with you is Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” That means they really hurt you deeply. So, you see gossip goes way back in Jesus time and before.

“The teeth should be taught to bite the tongue when it talks too much.”

The people who talk too much about other peoples business when it do not concern them, are called Gossipers - so called because they are always on the phone or over the fence gossiping about people’s business when it is of no concern of theirs.

Gossip is not helpful. Gossip actually serves to break the trust of the people around you. The Bible has a lot of important statements regarding gossip. Here are a few:

Romans 1:29 – “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips.”

1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.”

And the last one I will leave with you is Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” That means they really hurt you deeply. So, you see gossip goes way back in Jesus time and before.

If you want to avoid gossip, focus on creating helpful and encouraging statements. Let the gossip end with you and remember the Golden Rule – if you don’t want people to gossip about you, then don’t participate in gossip. Remember, without wood a fire goes out. Without gossip a quarrel dies down.

Bishop Forest Rhodes is on 106.3 FM Sundays at 9 a.m.