“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.” Proverbs 17:9

We have two end results that are contrasted in our passage today. The first result is love, and the second is division. If we were to have a discussion on how we would like to influence the lives of others, I imagine that we would all alike to promote love. The problem is, we can become so entertain by the sins of others, before we know it, our conversations are full of gossip. Gossip can become such a habit that we do it without even thinking about it. Someone might ask, “Is it possible to discuss someone’s sins out of concern and not gossip?” The answer to this question is yes, but there is a sure way of knowing the difference. Those who are discussing the sins of others in a constructive way are also rolling up their sleeves to help the individual overcome his or her sin. Those who are discussing sin in a destructive way are simply rehearsing the facts for the purpose of informative entertainment. We could cover a million different scenarios to try and justify our gossip as concern, but the truth of the matter is, if we aren’t promoting love (in action); we are producing separation and division.