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Gossip can cause harm
pastor corner

Until this pandemic I spent very little time on social media. I read my e-mails, texted a few people, and read some of the main stories of the week.

Now I have had to try to limit my time there, and it has been hard – using it primarily as a tool to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

One thing I have noticed is that people are saying a lot of things, either giving their opinion or sharing the opinions of others; either involving politics, the pandemic, or what their neighbors are doing or not doing.

The problem I see is that reputations can be destroyed and lies can be spread as truth. For Christians, this can harm our ability to witness affectively.

James 1:26 says that, “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

I know some things need to be said, but we should pray first before sharing to make sure that what we are about to say is beneficial to others and won’t hurt our witness.

One thing we need to realize is that once something is said, a person can’t take it back. You might take it off social media but others very well have screen shot it and can still share it.

If you have been guilty of gossip that has harmed others, the only recourse is for you to privately – if not publicly – apologize and move forward learning from your error. Others may forgive you, and God will if you come to him with a sincere heart.

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