pWe know that we don’t need to point out that gossip’s a bad thing. We all know it. It wrecks people’s trust, decimates reputations, and can spiral out of control like no-one’s business. And that’s just the consequences for our on-earth lives, without even getting into what it does to our relationship with God. Yet, we all still feel (and often give in to) the temptation to talk about that one person/thing, just a little bit. Proverbs 18:8 acknowledges that; we really do swallow gossip easily.br /
There’s something about knocking someone down a peg or two, even behind their back, that makes you feel a bit better about yourself. We can’t help but wonder what that’s about, because it’s nothing like the godly-model in Romans 12:15, at all: ‘Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn’ (NIV). And actually, we have a hunch that, at its root, gossip’s to do with our own worries about how well-liked/Christian/good-looking/whatever people think we are. It might sound like a motivational poster, but… other people’s success is not your failure. And their failure isn’t your success. So let go of any inclination to talk about others’ weaknesses and awkward moments, because they don’t relate to what *you’re* worth. Instead, try to make that approach in Romans 12:15 yours. Try to find Jesus-like concern for those around you. Let’s get to a place where our first response is joy for the joyful, and heartbreak for the distraught. Then, bad-mouthing others wouldn’t even occur as an option./p
pWhat now?br /
There are better things to talk about than other people. When you’re next around a conversation that gets a bit gossipy, try to steer the conversation away to discuss an interesting idea instead./p