Gossip Gossip Gossip!

We all love it and we all hate it!

I am guilty of entertaining gossip and asking what’s the scoop amongst my girlfriends but I’m working on eliminating that aspect of the conversation when talking to my girls (and guys-yeah dudes gossip just as much if not more than women) but it’s sooo hard to do. It comes second nature without me even thinking about it. 

Just last week a friend expressed her frustration with me because I didn’t inform her that some of our college friends recently called off their wedding engagement. She was appauled and even hit me with the “I tell you everything” statement. I didn’t feel bad about not telling her because like I explained, that’s not my place to tell her about failed relationships. I tried to give her a break…she really has no idea how hard it is to maintain a real relationship because she’s single and not looking to settle down anytime soon (or at least that’s what she wants me to believe) Considering that relationships are hard enough, when I heard of the break up I automatically knew there was no need for me to add anymore fuel to the fire by telling her. She would “runtelldat” to ER body and they mama and the heart broken girl who lost her fiance’ would be even more embarrassed. I’m not into that kinda stuff anymore. Sure at one point in time I would celebrate the failures of others because my mean-spirited ego didn’t know any better. I was extremely immature but ever since I started my journey towards Total Life Prosperity I have no desire to see others fail. Why create unnecessary drama by entertaining and repeating gossip? It’s not worth it and at the end of the day who really cares?! When I lay my head at night its refreshing to go to bed without anything negative on my mind.

Here are some scriptures I’ve meditated on concerning gossip:

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy and faithful in spirit keeps the matter hidden (Proverbs. 11:13)

A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates close friends  (Proverbs 16:28 AMP)

For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention ceases. (Proverbs 26:20 AMP)

And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.  Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. (1 Timothy 5:10-14)

James 3: 2-10 (NIV) Really hit home when I read it:

Taming the Tongue

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

Let us learn to tame our tongue and stop gossiping!

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