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Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Gossip

Trying to stop gossip is like trying to put toothpaste back into a toothpaste holder. It "ain't" goin' work!

No where do we in the kingdom of God struggle more than in this area.

People who gossip and murmur hurt themselves more than anybody else. The bible says murmuring brings disease to the heart and can bring devastating and disastrous consequences.

We not only have a responsibility to curtail our tendencies to gossip, we must also take up our responsibility to not listen to gossip.

When someone tries to contaminate you with their murmuring gossip or gripes, you can stop them with these five questions:

1. What's your reasons for telling me this?
2. Where did you get your information?
3. Have you gone directly to the person?
4. Have you checked out your facts?
5. May I quote you when I check this out?

I would suggest to you that when a gossip realizes you're not going to allow your ears to become their garbage cans, they will stop. And you will go on and have a great day realizing that you have protected someone instead of hurting them.

Let me give you something that you can practice today. Instead of griping or gossiping, why not replace all of the sins of your tongue with thanksgiving.

Paul writes, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit."

Bless that person you might normally gossip about with a prayer of blessing. "Father, I bless (fill in their name)today. May this be a day of peace and prosperity in their life."

here's what I know.

WE ARE ALL TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN.

2 comments:

JESUSisLORD said...

GOSSIP: TALKING YOUR WAY TO HELL

great book by Zona Hayes (Norvel Hayes's Daughter)

I think the title pretty much says it all.

GOD Bless!

Rosalina Kay said...

Gossip Kills

Just as my username suggests- WORDS ARE DEADLY. I mean I know of a lot of people who get hurt by what others say and by others' actions. But yet they will turn around and start talking bad about someone and saying bad things about other people. Which I guess is more on the subject of hypocrites.

But anywho, It is gossip and I know from a lot of my own expeirences as being a person. That gossip and bad-mouthing really, really hurts. It hurts SO bad. There are a ton of people at my school who talk bad about me. They call themselves my "friends". But I CAN'T trust them. They talk mean. They swear at me and call me all the worst things anyone ever thought of. And yet when I go to their face and just nicely ask them to stop. They just go back and deny everything- when HELLO I was sitting right their listening to them. How can they deny it?

How can people be so mean, be so rude, be so stubburn all the time? How is it that we can get hurt-get "wounded"- and then go and talk about other people? That is just like saying, oh well I dont care if I say bad things cuz it dont hurt me. But IT DOES.

In the longrun, it really does! Jesus sees everything that we do, everything that we say. We cant go to him saying oh jesus, so and so hurt me- take revenge for me. Wehn we go and do the very same thing to that person and hurt them just as bad or even worse.

The worst part is that a lot of time we laugh at someone or make jokes about them because of something they do or say. But we DON'T know everything- we ARE NOT jesus. So how can we say something when we dont know the whole story. Maybe there is a different side about them. Maybe they do what they do because of something that happend to them. Maybe they do what they do because they are scared. Who knows, but them? I mean WE CAN go off and say something without talking to them and getting the whole story- THAT IS NOT RIGHT!!!

Just think before you speak. If you feel that you have a "need" to pick on someone or something like that, pray. Pray to god to help keep your mouth shut. Pray to him and ask HIM for direction. PRAY.

~Mindy Bartzen