Tag Archives: gossip

I Love You 3: Love Gathering Leads to Death

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Did you hear about the tragic event that happened in Germany this weekend?  If not check it out here.  A love parade went horribly, horribly wrong.  I can’t help but see a parallel in many churches today.  We are supposed to gather together to encourage.  We are supposed to gather together to lift up.  We are supposed to gather together to worship, learn, and grow…together.  But far too often Christian get together and what happens isn’t necessarily killing each other, but more so the cause that they supposedly stand for.

  • We speak about each other with malice, rather than to each other in love.
  • We desperately try to outdo each other with our stuff, rather than outdo one another in showing humility.
  • We want to appear better, above the fray, above the problems, rather than allowing another believer the opportunity (or ministry)  to speak into your life.

In doing these things and many others we make our churches look wholly undesirable to a world that is looking for something lasting and is looking for something meaningful.  And even deeper than that we wound the body that we are a part of.  We hurt the very body that we belong to.

  • Every gossipy word, email, Facebook post, text, or tweet harms the body.
  • Every prideful glance, thought, or one-ups-man story wounds the flesh.
  • Every time we resist help when we desperately need it we make the other parts of the body feel worthless and atrophy.

Read what Paul said in Ephesians 4

[4:1] I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, [2] with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, [3] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  [4] There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— [5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4.1-6 (bold emphasis mine)

Here’s the issue: we are to stand united. We are ONE body that is supposed to mutually love and mutually care for each other.  We are supposed to bear with each other and love each other eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit.  We need to do this in humility…so guess what?  You aren’t ok, you aren’t fine, and neither am I (I wrote a post about this a while ago, here it is).  We need each other in this body from young to old, from student to elderly, from child to parent…we need each other.  We don’t need to try to outdo each other except in showing honor (Romans 12.10).  We certainly don’t need to speak with malice about one another.  So here are some suggestions:

  • If you struggle with gossip or are having negative feelings towards another brother or sister go speak with them.  Pray with them, share with them the issue, and resolve to walk out loving one another.  Don’t speak to another person about it.  Speak to that person.
  • If you struggle with “one upping” your brother or sister in Jesus then stop doing it to make yourself look better, but start doing it in making them feel honored.
  • If you struggle with being “SuperChristian” then realize you aren’t.  Realize you are not the body, you are only PART of the body.  You can’t do this thing by yourself, you need each other and the other believers around you have been put there to hold you up and help you function correctly.

Most of all, submit to the Head – Jesus Christ.  Do what He would have you to do.  All believers are part of His body and by hurting each other we hurt the one who saved us and gave His life for ours.  So walk worthy of Him and love your fellow body parts.

Christ is all (but believers are important too),

Jason