ARE THEY GOSSIPING ABOUT YOU?

FREEDOM OR ANARCHY,Campaign of Conscience.urges readers to cast their burdens on the Lord

I heard a story about three pastors from three different churches in their community who decided to go on a trip to Alaska together to discuss their challenges as members of the clergy.

After they had spent some time together, one pastor began to bare his heart. He shared his struggles, his problems and evenly specifically confessed sins that he was grappling with at that time. He encouraged the other two pastors to do the same. The second pastor followed suit, and he, too, disclosed intimate information about his own life. The third pastor wasn’t saying much, so the other two encouraged him to bare his heart and share what he struggled with.

“Well,” he told them, “I wasn’t going to say anything. But the sin I really struggle with is the sin of gossip. I can’t wait to get home.”

If we were to name the 10 worst sins we could think of, I don’t know how many of us would put gossip on that list. But when God identified seven of the things he hates, he included by implication the sin of gossip, or misusing our words. Proverbs 6 tells us, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community” (verses 16–19 NIV).

At one time or another, all of us have felt the bitter sting of gossip in our lives. Maybe someone told a lie about you or passed a story on about you that simply wasn’t true.

In Psalm 140, David lamented over those who had gossiped about him, who had lied about his character. It obviously was a source of great pain to him. He started off by saying, “Rescue me, Lord, from evildoers; protect me from the violent, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day” (verses 1–2 NIV).

We are living in a wicked, vicious time. It seems as though people today have an unhealthy appetite for gossip. We call this a tabloid mentality, and we now see this type of thinking and reporting almost across the board in journalism. When we turn on the evening news, we see things that have nothing to do with the news, things that have a gossipy feel to them.

As a culture, we want to know the inside scoop. We want to hear the dirt on this person or that person. There is something in our nature that wants to know more and more.

Then there are the talk shows and the so-called reality shows. When you think you have seen and heard it all, you see something worse. It seems like these things are snowballing in our culture, getting lower and lower. We are living in a wicked world, a violent world.

David was saying, “Deliver me from people like this, Lord.” He was facing a carefully planned campaign of slander and lies.

You have heard the adage “Good news travels fast,” but I would add that bad news travels faster. It’s been said that a lie is halfway around the world while truth is still putting on its shoes. There is something about a falsehood that just spreads like a wildfire.

David went on to say, “The arrogant have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path” (verse 5 NIV). His enemies literally were lying in wait for him, setting up a custom trap designed to snare him.

Quite honestly, there will be people who just don’t like you a whole lot. It’s hard to deal with that, because maybe you are an outgoing, friendly person who likes to get along with everyone. When you sense hostility or resentment from people, you wonder, “What did I ever do to them?”

They watch you. They scrutinize you. They want to find something in your life they would perceive as being inconsistent, because then they can say, “Aha! That individual is a hypocrite. Therefore, I don’t have to be concerned with what that person says.”

You can go crazy trying to figure these things out and trying to defend yourself at every turn. So what do you do? I like the words of the great evangelist Dwight L. Moody, who said, “If I take care of my character, God will take care of my reputation.”

The main thing we should concentrate on is trying to be that good example. And when we fall short (and we will), we should be honest enough to admit it.

What did David do with his concern? He cast it upon the Lord. In verses 6–7 he says, “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my God.’ Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy. Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle.” (NIV)

David was saying, “Lord, I place it on you.” It’s great to know that we have a God we can cast our burdens on.

Are you burdened today? Is something troubling you? Do you have anxiety over some situation? Maybe it’s a problem at work. Maybe it’s a problem with your husband or wife. Maybe it’s your children or your parents. Whatever it is, you’re carrying a burden today and don’t know what to do with it. David gave us an example. Cast it on the Lord.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV).

We’re also told in the book of 1 Peter, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (5:7 NIV).

What would you think if someone knocked on your door and said, “I live in the neighborhood. I actually like to take trash out. It is my delight to do it. Will you please give me the opportunity to go through your house, empty every wastebasket, clean up any messes you have, and take your trash away from you?”

That is what God is essentially saying to us. He’s saying, “Will you bring your problems to me? Will you bring your burdens to me? Let me take them from you.”

Take him up on his offer.