"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." ~Ephesians 4:29
Gossip is awful. That's all I can say about it. Gosh, it tears people apart. I just hate it, and I can't stand listening to it. And I hate myself when I catch myself joining in on the gossip. And when I don't stop it, which is what happened most recently.
Gossip is the #1 sin that people completely ignore. It catches every single person. Even if you don't instigate the gossip, almost all of us will help fuel the fire. When someone says something shocking about someone, and you are like, "What?" and they tell it again, that is just as bad as starting it yourself.
It literally tears peoples lives apart. Just yesterday, my friend (I won't name any names) was sitting at lunch with all of us. My best friend Shelby and I sit at the same table as about 6 of our other friends, but don't usually talk to them during lunch. Anyways, my friend went upstairs to get her lunch. As soon as she left, the other girls started talking bad about her. I was in the middle of my own conversation, but I overheard them saying her name. I ignored it, frankly because I just didn't want to hear it, and kept talking to Shelby, when really I should have said something. I'm mad at myself for not doing something about it. Shelby and I had made a pact on the very first day of school last week to not gossip, and tell each other if we catch one of us accidently doing it. I think we now need to stop others from doing it as well.
Anyways, last night I had my Sweet 16 birthday party after a full first week of school! That's why I haven't been blogging as much as usual! Anyways, everyone was having a good time and playing volleyball and corn hole or talking. Then as the night went on, one big group of girls kept gossiping. I was playing ping pong inside, and came outside to check on that group. The first thing I hear when I sit down is them talking about other people and drama that had happened at school. I literally popped right back up out of my seat and returned to having fun inside.
Later, my friend that had gone to get her lunch, got told by someone else what they had said about her at lunch when she was gone. She was devastated, angry, disappointed, and it completely ruined her night. I tried comforting her and didn't have much luck. She told me she wanted to start a new life all over somewhere with new friends that wouldn't backstab her. I told her she could come to Nicaragua with me and we can get away from everyone. These were her friends, her best friends, who were talking about her at lunch! And she literally had done nothing wrong. I don't know if they were jealous of her boyfriend or just trying to make themselves look better, but they really hurt her. I'm not okay with that.
Another friend at my party who goes to a different school got talked about yesterday as well. She was having the worst day, and just wanted to go home and not be with anyone. I felt so bad, because again, she hadn't done anything! She just happened to get involved in a story and got hurt as well. She was miserable last night. Her mom came early to pick her up because she just didn't want to be there. I didn't blame her one bit for wanting to leave.
Another friend from my school got told some things about her boyfriend, which I didn't know about until this morning, and she was upset and stayed away from everyone for most of the night. I was wondering if something was wrong last night, but I had no idea that it involved stupid gossip as well. No one even knows what happened. They are just telling what others told them. And breaking people's hearts in the process.
Three cases of gossip ruining their trust in one day. Three teenage girls that don't deserve a single thing anyone ever said about them. Three beautiful young ladies that don't deserve to get their hearts broken. I really love all three of them, and I can't stand to see them hurting like this. So many have lost faith in God, and I can see why they feel that way. I know it is hard to trust God. When you don't feel like you can trust your best friends, I can see how it would be really hard to trust someone you can't actually see.
But God is there. They can trust him. You can trust him. Tell Him your secrets, not humans who have absolutely no business hearing them in the first place. But, God, he loves to hear your burdens. He will take that pain away from you if you let him. All we have to do is let go. Let go of the pain and hurt from getting talked about and backstabbed. If you are someone who gets gossiped about, I hope that you will see that God is there for you and you can trust him when you can't trust anyone else.
And if you are someone who gossips, which almost everyone is, I hope this hits you like it hit me. I hope that this makes you see the hurt it brings every single day. It's not just a teenage thing. The adults I know gossip a ton too. It doesn't have to be that way. Be the one to stand up for your friends, or even better, stand up for your enemies. At the very least, walk away. Go find some people you can trust and have the time of your life with them. I promise, they exist.
"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." ~Matthew 9:37
There are a whole lot of people out there who will be a decent friend. They are there to talk to you and gossip with you, but be careful, because when your back is turned, they just might gossip about you. But there are some people who will really work to have a strong friendship, work to build your trust, and work to keep it.
I pray that God will help you and I both to stand up for what is right. I pray that he will lead us away from gossip, and into the way everlasting. I pray that you don't take the easy path with most of the world; the path that leads to destruction. I pray that you find the narrow gate. It is what leads to life and life to the FULL.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." ~Matthew 7:13-14
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