Thursday, August 25, 2011

Did you hear about Suzie down the street?

Have you ever said something and then right after you said it thought "why did I say that"? So often our mouths get us in trouble. When we hear something bad about someone we automatically need all the details. It's like Eww... Suzie's crying. Why? What happened? Who can I tell about this? Why can't we just learn to keep our mouths closed at the appropriate time? So many times it gets us in trouble and yet we never learn. God must feel like we do as parents when we tell our children "how many times have I told you...." I think it's an issue with both men and woman but it tends to be worse with woman. Probably because we talk just a tad bit more then men. I also think that woman can be a bit catty too. I think that most of the time we say things bad about others just to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. Like for example when you are talking badly about Suzie and Joe Shmoe"s marriage down the street maybe the problem is in your marriage. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Matt 7:3. The Bible gives us warnings over and over again about keeping or mouths closed. It refers to our tongue as a sword. Gossips are compared to murderer's. Just a few verses to get the point across.

Leviticus 19:16 – “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.”

Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.”

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.”

1 Timothy 5:13 – “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.”

Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Proverbs 18:8 – “The words of gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”


Deuteronomy 13:14 – “Then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.”

Matthew 7:12 – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Ephesians 4:29 – “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.”

OK it was more then just a few. Just one more..last one I promise. This one is my favorite:
Proverbs 26:20 – “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”
But you get it know right. Please don't get the impression that I never gossip. I'm just as much to blame as the next girl. I'm just becoming more aware of it and making it a point to watch what comes out of my mouth and removing the wood from the fire.

Peace Out,
Teresa


1 comment:

  1. <3 this and you! Great reminder that our words have the power of life and death in them... Xoxoxo xoxo ox peace out!

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