Listening to Gossip
Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy;
do you really want junk like that in your belly?
Proverbs 18:8 (The Message)
Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart.
Proverbs 18:8 (New Living Translation)
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to a man’s inmost parts.
Proverbs 18:8 (New International Version)
Gossip is the junk food of our lives. Don’t let gossip ruin your life. Whether by listening or partaking in it, gossip will only take you away from what God wants you to be.
Gossip is a real problem for me. I work in an office of women. Daily-even hourly-someone is coming to my desk to tell me the latest. We are caught up in a society that is so concerned with the latest celeb haircut or rehab visit. And that mentality has spread to our personal lives. I try to not get sucked in, but it is so difficult for me. I pray the Lord will give me the strength to get this garbage out of my life.
“Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24
I am similar to Ashley…gossip either has me A) Saying or thinking nasty things about others, regardless of whether they deserve it or not, or B) listening to others gossip, and that either clouds my own judgment or makes me think of things that are real and unpleasant. Both make me feel miserable and distracted, and keep me from concentrating on the good things in life. As well as harden my heart, which prevents me from being in tune with God’s plans for us.