If asked if they are the source of tales and rumors about others, most Christians would likely say that this is a sin that they do not personally engage in. I hope this is true, but it is highly unlikely since tale-bearing and rumor spreading are a problem in most Churches today. This being the case, someone has to be doing it - right? But even if this isn’t what you are personally engaging in, the question you must still answer is whether or not you are giving ear to those who are doing it. You see, even though many Christians might not be guilty of actually spreading tales and rumors themselves, many are guilty of giving ear to those who are spreading them. And this is not surprising since the Bible tells us that tales and rumors appeal to the human appetite - they are something that we find irresistible. Consider what Proverbs says about them: “ The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.” (Prov 18:8)
You see, the Bible describes such things as being very appealing to the human heart, but it also warns that to give ear to such things leads to something happening within us. It says that as we take them in, they go down deep inside of us and take root there. As we listen to such things, they take on a reality all their own, causing us to believe them to be true regardless of whether or not they really are!
I understand all of this from personal experience. Over the years of ministry, I and my family have been the target of tales and rumors, and we have experienced the results of what happens when others listen to, and take in, the things that others have said about us. We learned that once people start listening, truth no longer matters because the rumor takes on a life and a truth of it’s own in the hearts and minds of those who have given ear to it all. We know just how destructive these things are as it impacted our reputations, ministries and even some of our personal relationships. And we are not alone! Many in the Body of Christ have experienced the terrible results of those who have told tales about them and of those who have listened to those tales. Such things have ripped apart Churches, disrupted valid ministries, tarnished the witness of the Church, and destroyed lives. It is all to common a story in the Body of Christ, all because we crave and consume those dainty morsels when people come wanting to share them with us. I must confess that even I have found it hard to resist such morsels at times.
But resist we must - because the Bible clearly tells us that we must! Consider carefully what Proverbs 20:19 says: “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.” What we must decide is whether or not we will chose to give into our desires for these dainty morsels or obey Scripture. I hope and pray that the Lord will cause all of us to choose the latter!
One of the hardest things I had to learn upon entering the Army was to personally acknowledge, accept and take ownership of my failures. I recall the first time I committed an infraction and then trying to explain my actions to my Drill Sergeant (i.e., offering up excuses). It was not a pleasant moment. Although he was upset with the infraction, what upset him more was my attempts to exonerate myself through excuse making. In that moment, I learned the right answer to every failure and it is an answer which has stuck with me to this day: “No excuse Sergeant!” This was the expected answer in any situation (regardless of the valid excuses that I could offer up). It was the expected answer because it was the only answer which held me personally accountable for my failures. Because in the end, it didn’t matter why I failed, all that mattered is that I did fail!
“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more…” 1 Corinthians 9:19 (NKJV, 1982; Nashville: Thomas Nelson).
