The sound of devils crying in the night reminded early colonists of Tasmania of mythical hellhounds. As terrifying as their screams sound, Tasmanian devils aren’t much of a danger to humans— but they are to each other.
Not so long ago a vicious cancer began killing these animals and the initial cause of the disease was a mystery. As scientists began studying them they discovered that the cancerous tumors were self-inflicted! It’s not uncommon for the Tasmanian devils to fight and bite one another over a carcass or the rights to a female.
The devil’s ears will burn a bright red color when they’re upset but when they lash out at one another they further their own extinction. The bite wounds develop into a mutating cancer that will grow until eventually they succumb to the disease— or starvation.
At times people can also be guilty of destroying one another. Not with teeth, but through gossip and sadly the church isn’t immune to this disease, either. It’s no wonder that God warns us about the dangers time and again through His Word (Proverbs 11:13; 20:19).
“But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” – Galatians 5.15
Three Ways To Guard Against Gossip
- Avoid being a spreader. It will build your integrity and trustworthiness.
- Make it a point to speak highly of the person being slandered.
- Offer biblical solutions instead of contributing to the gossip. This assumes the person spreading the gossip is genuinely concerned about the person(s) they’re talking about. Have they confronted the subject of their gossip (Matt. 18.15-20)? If they’re unwilling to act but willing to talk— avoid them.
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