“Would it not be a great degradation of your office if you were to keep an army of spies in your pay to collect information as to all that your people said of you? And yet it amounts to this if you allow certain busybodies to bring you all the gossip of the place. Drive the creatures away. Abhor those mischief-making, tattling handmaidens to strife. Those who will fetch will carry, and no doubt the gossips go from your house and report every observation which falls from your lips, with plenty of garnishing of their own. Remember that, as the receiver is as bad as the thief, so the hearer of scandal is a sharer in the guilt of it. If there were no listening ears there would be no talebearing tongues. While you are a buyer of ill wares the demand will create the supply, and the factories of falsehoood will be working full time. No one wishes to become a creator of lies, and yet he who hears slanders with pleasure and believes them with readiness will hatch many a brood into active life” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 328).
1 Timothy 5: 14-15: Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan.
Here is an uncomfortable but necessary thing to think through. Here is a thing we all must search our hearts and consider: loving your neighbor is the cost of continuing to gossip. Loving God demands that we love neighbor, and that we take proper discernment seriously.
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I knew it! Congratulations Joy, I’m so happy for you. And congrats on your bracelet, Summer. 😉
Wow…this was a convicting episode. Summer, I love what you said about having our house in order and obedience prior to spending time online. (My sink still has a few more dishes, so I’d better be quick here to get back to them!) I squandered so, so many hours on the internet and social media while I let my house virtually crumble around me. The disgusting thing is that my house, my marriage, and my family literally were almost lost to my selfish time spent online. I tried to avoid drama, but anytime one spends as much time as I did online drama follows. Be thankful God revealed it to you before it became a season. My season of rebellion to obedience was several years long and it almost destroyed my family and me. BUT, I also adore what you said about the gospel! Those sins are covered. Repent and do no more. Praise God, He is faithful and kind. And let me tell you, the rewards of obedience are so worth it.
As to people saying things about you, I so wish I had heard this years ago. ‘Tis so true, and you spoke with such maturity. These are things young women need to hear about the online world. Share this message high and wide! And we need to pray and encourage young women to handle these situations with such maturity. I’ve had many things said about me on the internet, lies, false accusations, you name it. At one point I was on a feminist hit list and so regret that I didn’t know the things I know now, the things you talked about here.
I’ve also learned the hard way about arguing with people online. I am not someone’s holy spirit. That is a humbling thing to have to learn. Ouch.
These are all painful things I’ve had to learn, but what grieves me the most is the damage I may have done in the name of Christ. I spent time fighting for the enemy while deceiving myself that I was fighting for Christ. How I mourn that all. This is a subject many young mom’s need to hear. But I rejoice that you said the good news as well – with the help of Christ, we can live in a way online that is glorifying to Him. Praise God! I am a repentant rebellious internet who has been redeemed. There is hope if this is a sin you struggle with. Repent, log off, and pick up the Word. I know I still stumble, because I am a sinner. But repentance is mine and victory can be found in Christ. Hallelujah! And this is a topic worth ruffling feathers over. It’s a topic that we need to hear, and I am *so* thankful you used the words of Paul here.
Alright, I have to go finish those dishes so I can start dinner for the family. Praise God that He so abundantly blesses obedience.
I was once in a coworker’s office with a few other ladies when they started speaking their ill opinion of another coworker. I described to my husband later how gross and uncomfortable I felt, how much I wish I had just left the room. His advice to me was, “Next time, just tell them you have to poop and walk out.” Ha – that will surely stop any conversation in its tracks.
Thanks for a great discussion!
Oh Lord. Your disgust is surely because you have no unfavorable opinion of anyone that is disgusting? You really need to check your hypocrisy at the door. Obviously your “sensitivity” is really an oversensitivity and an attempt to make yourself look as if you are above other women. That’s truly disgusting.
CONGRATS JOY!!!!!! 😀
Congratulations Joy! Your baby has a great mom!
Great show. Gossip is also a problem for brother’s in Christ and I am going to share this great episode with them.
Love your podcast!