Yes I know.
No one really wants to talk about gossip.
We just want to gossip with no care.
I grew up learning to gossip with my mom.
It was one of the ways we bonded.
As a teenager I was a pro at gossiping.
That's sad but true.
After having Alex and Olivia I joined a M.O.P.S. group at my hometown church.
And gossip spread like wild fire there.
So I justified the adult gossip as "that's just what women do" or "it's how women bond"
LIES.
The older I've gotten, I must be gaining some wisdom.
As of the past few years I've thought more about gossip.
The heart of it.
If you don't know the heart of gossip is ugly.
For about the past year, this has been one of my biggest
"YOU need to work on this" issues.
There have been plenty of times I've been gossiping with friends
and later felt like complete trash.
Why do I always fall back so easily into gossip.
It's something I have to continually be working on.
What has really helped was this thought God provided me with
"Would you say that if that person was sitting right in front of you?"
That.
And the other thought He has blessed me with when I'm angry or hurt by someone
instead of gossiping/venting about the person
"PRAY FOR THEM"
Well. Duh.
Why did I need God to whisper that over and over and over and over and over.
That should be pretty much a given, right?!
Well for a gossip/venting queen not so easy.
But I'm working on it.
Yesterday while reading in Proverbs 29 this verse kicked me in the gut:
11: A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.
OUCH!
I love to vent, I have always said we all need to vent, God says otherwise. God instead says come to me all who are weary {Matthew 11:28}. GO TO GOD, not people. They don't need my negativity spewed on them.
And then today
Proverbs 30:33 For as churning the milk produces butter and as twisting the nose produces blood so stirring up anger produces strife.
Well don't those two verses go hand in hand.
Don't vent to others because your anger may stir up strife in the other --- towards that person you are venting about or towards you.
One day I was listening to a Francis Chan sermon on YouTube and he talked about how differently God views situations that we do. Venting and gossiping is one of those things. I could have good intentions talking to one of my christian friends that we need to pray for this person because they did this awful thing...and give all the details. When the truth is I can pray for that person without spewing my negativity and my hurt onto the other person. And if in fact I do feel that person needs lots of prayers I can say pray for this person without venting and gossiping.
WORK.IN.PROGRESS.
No one really wants to talk about gossip.
We just want to gossip with no care.
I grew up learning to gossip with my mom.
It was one of the ways we bonded.
As a teenager I was a pro at gossiping.
That's sad but true.
After having Alex and Olivia I joined a M.O.P.S. group at my hometown church.
And gossip spread like wild fire there.
So I justified the adult gossip as "that's just what women do" or "it's how women bond"
LIES.
The older I've gotten, I must be gaining some wisdom.
As of the past few years I've thought more about gossip.
The heart of it.
If you don't know the heart of gossip is ugly.
For about the past year, this has been one of my biggest
"YOU need to work on this" issues.
There have been plenty of times I've been gossiping with friends
and later felt like complete trash.
Why do I always fall back so easily into gossip.
It's something I have to continually be working on.
What has really helped was this thought God provided me with
"Would you say that if that person was sitting right in front of you?"
That.
And the other thought He has blessed me with when I'm angry or hurt by someone
instead of gossiping/venting about the person
"PRAY FOR THEM"
Well. Duh.
Why did I need God to whisper that over and over and over and over and over.
That should be pretty much a given, right?!
Well for a gossip/venting queen not so easy.
But I'm working on it.
Yesterday while reading in Proverbs 29 this verse kicked me in the gut:
11: A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.
OUCH!
I love to vent, I have always said we all need to vent, God says otherwise. God instead says come to me all who are weary {Matthew 11:28}. GO TO GOD, not people. They don't need my negativity spewed on them.
And then today
Proverbs 30:33 For as churning the milk produces butter and as twisting the nose produces blood so stirring up anger produces strife.
Well don't those two verses go hand in hand.
Don't vent to others because your anger may stir up strife in the other --- towards that person you are venting about or towards you.
One day I was listening to a Francis Chan sermon on YouTube and he talked about how differently God views situations that we do. Venting and gossiping is one of those things. I could have good intentions talking to one of my christian friends that we need to pray for this person because they did this awful thing...and give all the details. When the truth is I can pray for that person without spewing my negativity and my hurt onto the other person. And if in fact I do feel that person needs lots of prayers I can say pray for this person without venting and gossiping.
WORK.IN.PROGRESS.
Thanks for sharing this, Katie! I'm right here with you :)
ReplyDeletewonderful reminder post!!! thanks for sharing your heart!! ♥
ReplyDeletethis is so wise and a great reminder to us all. Thanks for sharing with such honesty! <3
ReplyDeleteI love this Katie!! Oh - i am so right with you as well!
ReplyDeleteKacia
Very wise words--thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDelete