Have you ever judged someone without knowing all the facts? Have you ever been influenced by the opinions of others? How much validity do you put into the winding vine? What determines your opinion of another individual? Based on the questions above, have you ever found yourself on the wrong side of the scale? Have you ever judged someone only to find out later that he was innocent of the human arrows of judgment?
The facts must precede the trial. Rumors have destroyed many lives. Christians have been injured, and some even fatally, due to advances and publicized takeovers. Opinions about people should be based on personal encounters, not the biased views of people with limited knowledge.
Before God cast his judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, he decided to take a firsthand look at the situation. God said that he would go down to Sodom and verify if her wicked “cry” was truly a representation of her sinfulness. If it were true, He would take the necessary measures. (Genesis 18:21) If God takes the time to seek the truth of a situation, shouldn’t Christians do the same? (This verse is a very interesting description of how God gets involved in people’s lives. He knows everything and yet wants “first hand” involvement. This is done through “messengers” who often take in the form of angels. They are the real extension of the presence of God. We see this demonstrated in the call of Moses to lead the children of God out of Egypt. God told Moses that he had seen and heard the cries of His people and that “I have come down to deliver them.” Exodus 3:8) Later he asks Moses to tell his people: “Surely I have visited you and seen what they did to you in Egypt” (Exodus 3:16). Hidden between these verses, God says to Moses: “I send you.” Moses becomes the messenger, who is the extension of God himself.)
If you hear something negative and hurtful about someone, shouldn’t you try to hear the defendant’s side? Accepting opinions about other people, which are based on unsubstantiated hearsay, is one of the things that God hates. (Proverbs 6:19) Basically, the people who initiate and spread falsehoods are people who have low self-esteem. They try to boost their self-esteem by shooting down those who would challenge their hypocrisy. The Scriptures define these kinds of people as busybodies, false witnesses, and liars. Unfortunately, many of these people live within the boundaries of local churches.
If we have been involved in the “vine” of gossip, we must ask not only God’s forgiveness, but also the forgiveness of those whom we have offended through our wrong acceptance of rumored information. Perhaps we could help restore a “wounded” saint through these actions.
Psalms 19:14 is a preventative recipe for those with a loose tongue. “May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing to the sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”