Journey to Ephesus

Day 18

'Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.'

Ephesians 4:29-32

I think that there is one main point that I wanna talk about from this passage. The rest of it that I don't talk about is great too, but I don't see any reason why I should go into more depth. The point is from the first sentence, which pretty much says, 'don't gossip and be mean, but say stuff that builds others up in confidence, and that benefits everyone who hears it'. The bible does talk about gossip a lot. In fact, in one verse, it relates gossip to murder!

Romans 1:29 – "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips."

We live in a culture where everyone gossips. And I mean everyone. There's always something people are talking about, something that puts others down. I do it, you do it, your parents do it - there isn't really anyone who doesn't gossip. But the bible compares gossips to murderers! The reason: gossip hurts. It really hurts. I'm sure you wouldn't like it if people talked about you like that. It's like a huge blow to the stomach, realising that people you thought were your friends say mean stuff about you behind your back. As Christians, especially teenagers, it is really hard to not gossip. But you should try. It kinda relates to what I was saying yesterday - stand out! Don't do what everyone else does!

OK, so it's alright to say 'don't gossip'. But it's much harder to actually do what this says. What do you do when you're in a group where everyone is gossiping about someone? I have three ideas that could help you to stop yourself (and everyone around you) from gossiping.

1. Change the subject! Just direct the conversation to something else! Start talking about your weekend, or that impossible maths exam that you did yesterday. Turn everyone from gossiping to talking about something that doesn't really offend anyone.

2. Tell everyone all the nice things about that person. Think positively, not negatively. Help everyone to see that the person you are talking about isn't all bad, but actually has a lot of good things in their personality.

3. Speak out! Tell people why you don't think it's a good idea to gossip! Talk to them about your way of thinking, and how gossip could actually really hurt people. By doing this, you can also introduce people to your faith, and the things you believe.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Th ank you for giving me friends. Thank you for the time I get to spend with them, chatting and hanging out. Please help me not to gossip about others. Help me to be the light amongst the people I spend time with, and show them a way of life that is not focused on being mean, but on love and kindness.

Amen