So, I’m a girl, and girls struggle with gossip a lot more than guys do. That being said, Adam Donye’s message really struck home with me. The key verse that was used in the message was Matthew 12:34 which says “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
So for example:
· Encouraging mouth = happy heart
· Gentle mouth = loving heart
· Controlled mouth = peaceful heart
· Judging mouth = guilty heart
· Slandering mouth = angry heart
· Negative mouth = fearful heart
· Boasting mouth = an insecure heart
· Critical mouth= bitter heart
· Filthy mouth = impure heart
· Gossiping mouth = man pleasing heart
Golly, that last one… me having a gossiping mouth means I have a man pleasing heart. Ouch. The reality of this has been brought to my attention since being here at Linkyear, I have realized that so much of what I did at home, I only did in order to please other people and make them happy. But if y’all didn’t know, people pleasing and gossip usually go hand in hand in the girl’s world. In order to fit in, we feel like we have to blend into conversation which most of the time is gossip, even if we deny it.
So, what is the solution to gossip? It’s really kind of simple. But it’s hard and takes a lot of self-control. How about we just think before we talk? Let’s just slow down, think about what we’re saying, who we’re talking about, or what we’re talking about. Or even something easier to follow would be to not talk about anyone else at all. Eleanor Roosevelt once said “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” So, let’s enlarge our minds and have an intellectual conversation. Let’s talk about ideas, dreams, aspirations, motivations, or just what Jesus is teaching you. These conversations will be so much more beneficial than the juiciest of gossip.
So for example:
· Encouraging mouth = happy heart
· Gentle mouth = loving heart
· Controlled mouth = peaceful heart
· Judging mouth = guilty heart
· Slandering mouth = angry heart
· Negative mouth = fearful heart
· Boasting mouth = an insecure heart
· Critical mouth= bitter heart
· Filthy mouth = impure heart
· Gossiping mouth = man pleasing heart
Golly, that last one… me having a gossiping mouth means I have a man pleasing heart. Ouch. The reality of this has been brought to my attention since being here at Linkyear, I have realized that so much of what I did at home, I only did in order to please other people and make them happy. But if y’all didn’t know, people pleasing and gossip usually go hand in hand in the girl’s world. In order to fit in, we feel like we have to blend into conversation which most of the time is gossip, even if we deny it.
So, what is the solution to gossip? It’s really kind of simple. But it’s hard and takes a lot of self-control. How about we just think before we talk? Let’s just slow down, think about what we’re saying, who we’re talking about, or what we’re talking about. Or even something easier to follow would be to not talk about anyone else at all. Eleanor Roosevelt once said “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” So, let’s enlarge our minds and have an intellectual conversation. Let’s talk about ideas, dreams, aspirations, motivations, or just what Jesus is teaching you. These conversations will be so much more beneficial than the juiciest of gossip.