"The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body." - Proverbs 18:8Proverbs has much to teach us about one's speech.
The book simply divides our speech into one of two categories: wise speech or foolish speech.
As OT scholar Tremper Longman says, "the gossip is the classic example of a foolish speaker."
Which led me to ask, "Why is gossip so foolish?"
The simple answer, which we will see, is because gossip is idolatrous: it exalts self by tearing down others.
According to Proverbs 18:8, the reason I gossip and listen to others gossip is because it is so delicious in my "inward parts", that is, my heart.
But why is this destructive perversity so delicious?
The simple and biblical answer is this: even though I am a born-again Christian, I am still a recovering idolater.
Before Christ made me a new creation by the sovereign intervention of His vivifying Spirit, I worshiped myself and anyone else who worshiped me. The idol I sacrificed to was not a silly piece of wood or metal. No. I was my own god. I sat upon the throne of my own heart.
And I was willing to sacrifice anything - and anyone - to this god, that his name might be made great among the nations.
If it meant cutting down others to exalt myself, then so be it. This tyrant allows no rivals.
Which means this: gossip is not an issue of the tongue; it's an issue of the heart.
And so petty programs and silly solutions will not root out this ferocious foe who is not easily exiled from my "inward parts."
Only the gospel can evict this terrible tyrant from my heart:
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." - Proverbs 18:21What I say is determined by what I deem delicious: if I love the fleeting 'fruit' of self-worship, I will slander and cut down others made in the image of God (cf. James 3:9); but, if I love the forever fruit of God-worship, I will "edify and encourage" my fellow image bearers, even if it means saying hard things and speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:15, 29).
Is this not how our Lord Jesus dealt with us?
This is precisely what Paul says in Ephesians 5, right after his commands of how Christians are to use their tongues:
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - Ephesians 5:1-2This is almost identical to his exhortation in 4:20-24:
"But that (see vv.17-19) is not how you learned Christ! - assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old man, which belongs to your former manner of life, and is corrupted through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the image of God in righteousness and holiness of truth."We put off our old "man" with all his or her "deceitful" desires, as well as put on this new self, by "renewing our minds." The "Spirit" does this as we gaze upon Christ in the gospel. As we do so, our desires (i.e. what we love) are changed. We will bless not only God with our lips, but others also, just as Jesus did.
Our old "man" deceives us into thinking that we are gods. It makes us think that evil is good and bitter is sweet. The new man, as he (or she) is renewed into the new-creation image of the God-man by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18), will not take the life and vitality of others to exalt himself (by gossip and slander), but will like Jesus give up his (or her) life and vitality for the good of others and the glory of God. This is God-wrought love, the very that enables us to fulfill Christ's new covenant law (see 1 Cor. 9:21; Rom. 13:9-10; Gal. 5:6, 13-14; James 2:8).
So, let us endeavor to slay slander and mortify gossip this year by looking to Jesus, learning from Jesus, and then longing to "walk even as He walked", that is, "in love."
God help us to honor You with both our lips and our hearts. Make the gospel of Your Son sweeter to us than the worship of ourselves.
For Jesus' sake, Amen.
