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Gossip Can Destroy You!The Watchtower—1955 | August 15
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tongue, nor doeth evil to his friend, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.” “Perverted speech I hate,” says Jehovah. If Jehovah hates it, so should we, and the hateful thing should not be permitted to exist in the congregation. We pray as directed: “Deliver my soul, O Jehovah, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.” If such lips and tongues are in the congregation, by disfellowshiping action the congregation can be delivered from them.—Prov. 13:3, RS; Ps. 15:1, 3, AS; Prov. 8:13, RS; Ps. 120:2, AS.
15. What makes gossip so dangerous, and what questions should the gossiper consider?
15 Many times gossip is concerning a minor matter, but discord is sown as wagging tongues magnify it out of all proportion. A gossip makes a mountain of the molehill and a molehill of the mountain. The real mountain, the sowing of discord, is as a molehill to the gossiper in comparison with the minor difficulty that he magnifies to mountainous proportions to bring about the discord. How dangerous is such unprofitable speaking! We read at Matthew 12:36, 37 (NW): “I tell you that every unprofitable saying that men speak, they will render an account concerning it on Judgment Day; for by your words you will be vindicated, and by your words you will be condemned.” How do you think words of gossip will be viewed during judgment periods? Can you vindicate your gossip? Will the plea that you meant no harm suffice? Will it ring true if the record shows you continued gossiping even after some of your tales proved false? Can you shift responsibility for the words that came out of your mouth? Be assured that your words, if they were gossipy words, will be condemned. How much better now to cultivate wisely a tongue that heals instead of injures: “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”—Prov. 12:18, RS.
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You Can Crush Gossip!The Watchtower—1955 | August 15
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You Can Crush Gossip!
“The north wind brings forth rain, and a slandering tongue an angry face.”—Prov. 25:23, AT.
1. With what illustrations did James show the power of the tongue and the inconsistency of using it to bless and curse?
THE disciple James took to task the human tongue. By striking illustrations he emphasized the difficulty of controlling this little body member. Bits in the mouths of horses can turn their whole bodies. Small rudders can swing big ships around. So the little tongue makes great brags. As a tiny spark can set a forest aflame, so the small tongue can be a fire to inflame the whole body and defile it. The beasts of earth men can tame, “but the tongue, not one of mankind can get it tamed.” Why, “if anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man.” A fountain
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