Gossip is never truth
While it’s true that God made us to be social creatures as stated in the Bible, Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for man to be alone,” sin has corrupted this desire for relationships. And instead of building healthy friendships, we end up gossiping about someone else in an effort to tell the truth, our truth.
If you are anything like me, your first reaction to gossip, lies, and slander, is to defend yourself. I used to jump to this immediately. “Lie about me? I’m going to set you straight! I’m going to email you right back and tell you like it really is. Then, I’m going to call all my friends and family members and tell them what you just did to me, and make sure they know the truth! Gossip is sickening. Yes, your name is out there. Yes they are talking about you. Lies are told, and your name is being slandered. The bible itself says in Proverbs 16:28, “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”
Stirs conflict! If the conflict is already in the pot, don’t stir it!
Perhaps God is allowing this trial because someone along the way needs to learn a simple lesson: If someone is gossiping to you, then they are gossiping about you. Everyone gets hurt at some point, and we are all blind until God opens our eyes. Perhaps healing is needed in someone else’s life, and God has given you the strength to handle it. Perhaps you need growth in this area yourself. Sometimes a few hearts get broken along the way. God offers a wealth of guidance and warnings throughout the book of Proverbs, in order to help us avoid getting involved in some of these situations. When things are not our fault, we can take comfort in the fact that God will take care of it at just the right time.
You can get all worked up about it, and lose sleep over losing friends, or you can turn it all over to the Lord, and let Him take care of it all in His perfect timing. It may be that He’s filtering out “friends” who do not know how valuable you are to God, or “friends” that are unhealthy for you. Perhaps some of these people are not your “friends” at all. God may be doing His work through some of these people and you, to accomplish a higher purpose for His glory. He will not leave you behind while doing this. He will lavish you with blessings.
Jesus was insulted, spat upon, beaten, and ultimately killed. He did not deserve it, but he accepted God’s will because he knew it would give us a chance to be saved. He loved us that much. Can we do the same? Even though people sinned and treated him terribly, he overlooked his mistreatment, and still loved, healed and prayed for all sinners. That means you and me.
Always remember Luke 23:34 “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”
Let us pray -
Oh Jesus forgive us, forgive us all, for we know not what we do. We have sinned and continue to do so despite your teachings. Lord send your Holy Spirit to set us straight to show us the truth. The truth that is your way not ours. We want you in our lives Lord. We want you always on our minds, so much that any slander against us falls on ears that are filled with the joy of your magnificence in our lives. We want to be so right by your graces that others that hear lies told about us know that they are untrue because they see your light shining through us. Let our words always encourage others to seek your praises in their lives. Ephesians 4:29 tells us - “Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that builds up...”let this is our new approach to relationships Lord. Let us affirm your love for all your children Lord. We love, honor, and praise you Christ, and in your most holy name we pray,
Amen Jesus! Amen! Amen!
If you are anything like me, your first reaction to gossip, lies, and slander, is to defend yourself. I used to jump to this immediately. “Lie about me? I’m going to set you straight! I’m going to email you right back and tell you like it really is. Then, I’m going to call all my friends and family members and tell them what you just did to me, and make sure they know the truth! Gossip is sickening. Yes, your name is out there. Yes they are talking about you. Lies are told, and your name is being slandered. The bible itself says in Proverbs 16:28, “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”
Stirs conflict! If the conflict is already in the pot, don’t stir it!
Perhaps God is allowing this trial because someone along the way needs to learn a simple lesson: If someone is gossiping to you, then they are gossiping about you. Everyone gets hurt at some point, and we are all blind until God opens our eyes. Perhaps healing is needed in someone else’s life, and God has given you the strength to handle it. Perhaps you need growth in this area yourself. Sometimes a few hearts get broken along the way. God offers a wealth of guidance and warnings throughout the book of Proverbs, in order to help us avoid getting involved in some of these situations. When things are not our fault, we can take comfort in the fact that God will take care of it at just the right time.
You can get all worked up about it, and lose sleep over losing friends, or you can turn it all over to the Lord, and let Him take care of it all in His perfect timing. It may be that He’s filtering out “friends” who do not know how valuable you are to God, or “friends” that are unhealthy for you. Perhaps some of these people are not your “friends” at all. God may be doing His work through some of these people and you, to accomplish a higher purpose for His glory. He will not leave you behind while doing this. He will lavish you with blessings.
Jesus was insulted, spat upon, beaten, and ultimately killed. He did not deserve it, but he accepted God’s will because he knew it would give us a chance to be saved. He loved us that much. Can we do the same? Even though people sinned and treated him terribly, he overlooked his mistreatment, and still loved, healed and prayed for all sinners. That means you and me.
Always remember Luke 23:34 “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”
Let us pray -
Oh Jesus forgive us, forgive us all, for we know not what we do. We have sinned and continue to do so despite your teachings. Lord send your Holy Spirit to set us straight to show us the truth. The truth that is your way not ours. We want you in our lives Lord. We want you always on our minds, so much that any slander against us falls on ears that are filled with the joy of your magnificence in our lives. We want to be so right by your graces that others that hear lies told about us know that they are untrue because they see your light shining through us. Let our words always encourage others to seek your praises in their lives. Ephesians 4:29 tells us - “Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that builds up...”let this is our new approach to relationships Lord. Let us affirm your love for all your children Lord. We love, honor, and praise you Christ, and in your most holy name we pray,
Amen Jesus! Amen! Amen!
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