Tongue Fast

The evening service tonight was part of a series on the tongue; each week we have been challenged to take a “tongue fast”. The fast is to abstain from areas that our tongue gets us into trouble. Tonight was specifically slander, gossip, and betraying trust. Ouch, definitely got a big “C” of convictions tonight.

Sins of the tongue get overlooked and undermined; slander, gossip and betraying trust are a cancer in the church. How often has someone been torn down confidences been broken in the name of prayer support? Maybe its more than a tongue issue…rather a love issue.

Comments

matthew said…
I've definitely observed 'prayer request' time being used as a gossip forum. You can tell by the tone in which they say it and/or sense that spirit in the air.
Robin said…
Good word, Liz... I do think it's more of a "love" issue than a tongue issue. Like all sins, it starts in the heart; like all sins it's a matter of the heart more than it is of actions.
Steph said…
ello my liz! i found your blog through my amazing tracking down skills (in other words, i'm good)

I think that gossip is a hard thing to pin down. Saying something for the intent and purpose of slandering another person, or for making the person your talking to change their opinion about the person your talking about is definately a no-no. Someimes i wonder why we talk about other people at all.

If your intent is to truly to share with someone a concern, or to ask advice about a situation so you don't end up making it worse, and you know the person with whom you're talking is able to keep objective, then maybe it would be a good thing.

then again, not good to say anything to someone that you wouldn't (and havn't already) said to God.