Almost all of us have probably talked about someone behind their backs. Some of it might be true but most of the time, they’re just malicious information with no factual basis. In short, they’re worthless pieces of gossip.

But what we usually don’t realize is that those seemingly harmless pieces of gossip can lead to slander. Before we know it, lives have been ruined and someone’s reputation is in tatters.

This is how dangerous a slanderous comment can be. It can destroy friendships and tear families apart. And as history proves time and time again, a mere piece of gossip can bring about generations of fighting and chaos. That’s on top of a costly lawsuit.

In the bible, gossip and slander are viewed as something that goes against God’s will. In fact, the ninth commandment says “Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” The worst thing about this is, even if we know that gossiping is a sin, we still do it. The act of talking about others behind their backs has become so commonplace that it has essentially become a part of human nature. This is why the apostle James said that humans can tame almost all kinds of animals in the world but not our own tongues (James 3:7-8) because taming the tongue requires God’s help.

Erick Bouwmeester