The struggle bus. We've all ridden it. Sometimes, on a particularly rough day, we may even be driving it. I've been hitching a ride lately and plopping myself down in the Gossip seat. I recently realized that I have a terrible habit of gossiping. Whenever I hear or see something that causes a stir, I just HAVE to tell my 2 best friends. And my mom. And my fiancé. And anyone else who may be around/related to the situation. It's a sickness, really. A lot of times we get gossip confused with sharing news, or passing the word along. A lot of times I try to compensate gossip with saying that I'm "just letting you know". Or that "I didn't want you to find out from someone else". Or my personal southern favorite, "Now this is just here say but..."
Coming from a HUGE family with lots and lots of women, gossip is just what you did. Every Wednesday when my brother and I were small, my mom would go to a quilting circle (no we're not Amish) with my grandmother and her sisters and their daughters. Colton and I would sit under the quilt and play with whatever old toys we could find at Aunt Odell's and listen to the women spill. That is how I learned the gift of gab. It doesn't help that we live in a small, Southern town. If you're pregnant, we know about it. If you're getting divorced, we know who your lawyer is probably going to be before you pick him.
Why is gossip so wrong, especially if what we're saying is true? Gossip is wrong because of what we intend to do with it. When we gossip about someone's struggles or trials, we're ultimately doing it to make ourselves feel better. Proverbs 24:17 says Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice..." As Christians, it is our duty to love and be there for others, even people who are not Christians, because that's what Jesus would have done.
Gossiping is easy for me because I love being current on all things. I delight in knowing that I am the first person to be aware of a certain situation, which probably stems from my being extremely competitive. But I can't count the times that I've stuck my foot in my mouth gossiping to the wrong person. It's not a great feeling when you gossip about someone to another person and their response is "that's my cousin". In these cases, I mentally kick myself in the butt and wish that I had a better hold on my tongue. The Bible mentions taming our tongues several times. It puts a huge emphasis on our mouths and the things that come out of it. Another verse from Proverbs says A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body. (18:7-8).
As of today, I'm getting off of the struggle bus regarding Gossip. I pray that God can help remind me to keep my mouth shut when I hear information that should be private or could be embarrassing.
