Quarrels Die WITHOUT Gossip
Our family loves to camp. My absolute favorite spot is at the campfire. I can sit there all day long. My kids love the fire, too.
I like it because it’s warm and cozy. Staring into the flames is peaceful for me. My kids like to stoke the fire and watch it consume the wood.
Every night though, we have to put out the fire. We separate the logs from one another, and tamp it all down.
If we burned a fire all day, the next morning there are still hot coals. When we place a log on them, the fire catches quickly. On a cold morning, that’s exactly what we want!
Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down. (Proverbs 26:20 NIV)
It’s interesting that the writer of this Proverb chose fire as a comparison to gossip. If we let them, arguments can become very heated. Words become ugly. Tensions rise. We may even become physically warm.
There is nothing like gossip to fan the flames of a quarrel–moving arguments from private (where they belong), to public. Like a forrest fire on the move, once gossip starts, it’s almost impossible to get under control. It goes wherever the wind takes it.
I certainly don’t assume that anyone reading this willingly spreads gossip, but it is easy to find ourselves tempted to participate. This is where we stop it–at the moment someone begins to share a juicy tidbit. Absolutely, our flesh wants to hear the tale. But our spirit should scream STOP! Quarrels die without gossip.
Our words have the power to give life or to cause death.
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21 NIV)
Let’s be agents of life!
Quarrels die without gossip. Share on X
I LOVE this! What a great analogy–I work at a boarding school, and my, oh, my, we need to post this verse everywhere on campus! All too often we feed the fuel of indignation with little gossipy comments that fan into full-bodied flames.
Wow! I feel the chisel… Love the imagery of the fire. Thanks for helping me see those ‘little coals’ as having the potential to create something out of control and destructive.
I love the connection between fire and our words. Fire can easily grow out of control and so can our words. I found this analogy to be one that will help me remember to control my words!
I can see how this could be a real issue in that environment! Lead the way, Anita!!
Glad you are encouraged, Tammy!
Me, too, Mary.
I’ve seen and felt the destructive force of gossip against my family, and it’s one of the “acceptable sins” I cannot tolerate. (Lord knows I have enough sins I wrestle with in my own life, but gossip has always been ugly to me.)
Why glory in someone else’s downfall? Why gloat over another’s pain and indignity? We should be the ones lovingly coming alongside and helping one another up.
Okay, I’m off my soapbox now. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this much-needed message!
Well said, Asheritah … thank you for sharing your heart. This helps us all see how destructive gossip is. ((hugs))