Gossips: Worse Than Thieves!

[312 words] Our words can be extremely powerful, either for good (Eph. 4:29) or ill (James 3:6). One form of evil use of the tongue is gossip. The following illustration by an unknown author drives this point home: Once upon a time, an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief, As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After been released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him. In court the old man told the Judge: “They were just comments, didn’t harm anyone.” The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man: “Write all the things you said about him in a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.” Next day, the judge told the old man:…