I can't believe she did that!

Gossip...It's a topic that I don't like talking or writing about, because I struggle with it. Why am I talking about it then? Not only is it something that most of us girls (and some guys!) struggle with, but my husband talked about unity in the church, and I thought that nothing spreads disunity as fast as gossip.
We love gossip, as hard as it is to admit, we love it! In Proverbs 18:8 it says "The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body."  I am not sure what gossip does to make us love it so much, but I always seem to feel better about myself and worse about someone else when it's over.
I never start out with the intention of gossiping, normally, but because I love to talk so much it seems comes out at sometime or another. I don't like to see myself as a gossiper but when I read Philippians 4:8 I realize that what I say about people isn't always lovely or honorable! Unfortunately my flesh self tells me that talking bad about someone isn't that bad. This is especially the case when it is true about that person! But I have to understand a couple of things that the Bible teaches, first:

Gossip is a sin!

God says that he hates it (Proverbs 6: 16-19). A lot of times we see gossip as something harmless, but when we put down and judge a fellow believer, we are spreading strife, and can lose friends (Proverbs 16:28). Not only that, when we are worried about and talking about other people, we are taking our focus off Christ and onto someone else's faults.
Another thing we must see is:

Gossip is not limited to false information

When what we say about someone is true, then it doesn't seem to be quite as bad. The Bible teaches us that "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" Philippians 4:8 Even though this says to 'think', whatever is in our hearts and minds comes out on our tongues (Matthew 15:18)
If we don't have something that is an encouragement, or doesn't build someone up, then we should not say it at all.

Finally, God gives us an example of how we should speak:
He would like us "To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people." Titus 3:2 That verse is my challenge to not only you, but myself!