Our God cares about the words that come out of our mouths, and how we speak to and about others. As christians, we should be open to correction and walking in truth. Gossip especially when negative, can get in the way of our walk with Christ. Being an extreme gossiper is an indicator of emotional instability. Emotional Triangles and damaged reputations will occur if people do not talk to each other directly. In Matthew 18 there are four steps to take when someone sins against you.

Bible versions used:

ESV, Recovery Version

For more on Gossip and healthy relationships...

References:

Bedrov, A., & Gable, S. L. (2023). Just between us…: The role of sharing and receiving secrets in Friendship across time. Personal Relationships, 31(1), 91–111. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12527

Nichols, M. P., & Davis, S. D. (n.d.). Bowen Family Systems Therapy. In The Essentials of Family Therapy (7th ed., pp. 56–69). essay, Pearson.

Reynolds, T. A., & Palmer-Hague, J. (2022). Did you hear what she did to me? Female friendship victimization disclosures offer reputational advantages. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 101, 104311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104311

Watson, D. C. (2012). Gender differences in gossip and friendship. Sex Roles, 67(9–10), 494–502. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-012-0160-4

Watson, D. C. (2022). The HEXACO Model of Personality: Factors related to Gossip & Friendship. North American Journal of Psychology, 24, 463–480.

Yucel, M., Sjobeck, G., Glass, R., & Rottman, J. (2020a). Being in the Know: Social Network Analysis of Gossip and Friendship on a College Campus. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/q8m7u

God invites us to become His friends! Promising us Eternal Life if we believe. He further promises to hear our request. Not judging us only by outward appearance but by our inner being.

Scriptures:

John 15:12-17; 4:7-25; 12:3-8

1 Samuel 1:12-20; 16:7

Matthew 26:7-10; 23:26-28