Did You Hear?

Did You Hear?

 

 

So I’m going to make the assumption that if you are old enough to read this, you have encountered gossip at some point in your life.  And it’s probably safe to assume that you have participated in it at some point, as well.  Now there is a type of gossip that’s okay, but you and I both know when we think “gossip”, were not thinking of praiseworthy, kind words.  So just to clear things up lets go with the dictionary definition:

Gossip: a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others; rumor or report of an intimate nature

So whether the “gossip” is fictional or true, it is still supposedly revealing of intimate and personal information regarding someone else.  Now I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure if I tell someone something very personal, I don’t want them to go and blab it to the world.

So guys…I was originally going to discuss the impact of gossip; but let’s be real; you and I have both had that drilled into our brains since we were kids.  Long story short, gossip hurts others, and it hurts you too! It destroys trust. It destroys friendships. It destroys confidence. It destroys us. It’s not worth the pain.  Moving on to what moved me…

The truth: Gossip is rooted in the heart.

Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit.  With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him. Jeremiah 9:8

For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks Luke 6:45

This scripture was the biggest reality check for me, because in this context, it really made me question my method to stopping the gossip.  Sure, we can say we’ll stop, but it won’t truly end until we get to the root of the problem; the heart. When we have low opinions and judgments of others, our heart is numbed by our resentment towards them, causing us to be careless in our speech about them. Rather, we must look at them through “God’s eyes” and see the good things in them [even if that may be difficult] ;). I’ve spent a lot of time in my day trying to control my mouth, but maybe what I’ve been missing is that I need to control my heart.

Something to think about….

-Tamara