Neither Shalt thou Gossip

One of my dear friends mentioned her current thoughts on Gossip just yesterday, so I fell to thinking about it.

I was wondering if it's gossip when I say good things about you behind your back. What do you think? 'Cause I talk about you.
Did you know that?
You ok with that?

Webster's Very Old Dictionary said that gossip is tattling. Like what the children do. That was helpful to consider. Children come to me to report the bad things that other children do, with the specific purpose of gaining punishment for the offender.
That's what I do when I gossip. I tell you the bad things that I know about someone, so that you will "punish" them by siding with me. So you will validate me by your agreement.
Isn't that ugly?
Why do you gossip?
It seems to me that I only need to gossip if I remove God from the equation. I'll tell you why:
If God is all He says He is, then He is perfectly capable of revealing a scoundrel. He certainly doesn't need my help.
Plus, God can validate and protect me way better than others can.
Is there ever a time to reveal someone else's vileness? Well, yes. But only as a last resort, and only to be done God's way. It's in Matthew 18 that we are told to reveal persistent, unrepentant sin to the church. It's only after we've confronted the offender, and brought witnesses also. But that's motivated by sorrow and love, not a desire to punish.
So, once again, it comes down to my heart. I really need to love people more.

I think that speaking well of others is a good thing to do. I can tell you true, uplifting things about people, and thereby inspire you to do the same. When I talk about others I guess I should be striving to reveal the beauty in them, to you. Wouldn't you just love to be talked about that way?

I have a few really close, and wonderful friends. These are people who can tell me ugliness they see in me. That's the kind of friendship that takes years to earn. I was wondering how I would feel if I found out that they had been discussing my flaws behind my back. You know what? I actually think I would be ok with it, in the sense that I know they love me, and pursue my very best interests.
Not may people love me in the way that gives me that kind of confidence, though.
Have you ever heard gossip about someone you love? That makes me really mad. Like a mamma bear protecting her cubs, I find that I get much angrier about that, than I do about hearing gossip about me.

Gossip is so damaging. So is persistent, unrepentant sin (which gossip, unchecked, surely is). I think that is why God tells us to remove such a one from our midst. If we don't, then the offending party will continue to cause damage, and those who desire to be right before God and man have no recourse.

Job said, "Set a guard, Oh Lord, over the door of my lips."
May it be so with me as well.
Amen.