It always starts with one word
First, somebody told it,
Then the room couldn’t hold it,
So the busy tongues rolled it
Till they got it outside.
Then the crowd came across it,
And never once lost it,
But tossed it and tossed it,
Till it grew long and wide.
This lie brought forth others,
Dark sisters and brothers,
And fathers and mothers–
A terrible crew.
And while headlong they hurried,
The people they flurried,
And troubled and worried,
As lies always do.
And so evil-bodied,
This monster lay goaded,
Till at last it exploded
In smoke and in shame.
Then from mud and from mire
The pieces flew higher,
And hit the sad victim
And killed a good name.
I am looking forward to the day when people would realize that they should never say anything about anybody behind their back. I hope people will realize that if they can not say something about somebody in their presence, they cannot say it at all to anybody else. By overlooking this simple principle, some people have destroyed homes, families, relationships and churches. It only takes one word to kill a good name. This is the very thing Paul warns against:
2 Thessalonians 3:11
For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
1 Timothy 5:13
Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.
The tricky part about gossip for the christian is that it sometimes starts out like a prayer request for its victim. But we all know it is not really a prayer request; it is just a religious cover up to tear somebody down. Also, the one listening to this little talk does not realize that he/she is as responsible for the damage that is going to happen to the one they are talking about.
Gossip, lies, slander usually hurt others; I pray we would be a little more loving toward other – because at the end of the day – it all comes down to whether we truly love our neighbors as ourselves.
Go Deeper:
How do you stop yourself from talking about others behind their backs? What’s your secret, how do you stay victorious?
How do you protect yourself from listening and entertaining little talk about others?
How would you counsel and comfort a friend who is a victim of slander or gossip?
Source of Poem: Unknown
Walter Bright 
Walter, I agree. We must check our hearts and our tongues. It is even bad to mumble under the breath as I learned in the book of James study I did. It is something we all probably fail at – but I do try very hard and God has taken this away from me in the last 5 years… I am released by His help and grace. I wrote this about how we speak to each other and it is much the same since how we speak to each other is often how we talk about others when they are not around. May I share? It is an open letter to Christians about how our words are life or death. We must choose life. I wrote it after a prompting from the Lord on how Believers spoke to each other during the last political election but it applies to all topics and hot button issues and life in general really.
http://40yearwanderer.com/2012/11/04/open-letter-to-christians-this-is-why-the-world-speaks-the-way-they-do-about-us/
It started a movement on Facebook under the same name. It is really is a common thread among Believers who work hard to Love One Another.
God bless,
Heather
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This is an excellent and much needed reminder for me. A simple question to ask myself before opening myself is would I say this if the person were right in front of me? If not…then I should probably keep the mouth shut.
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that is the best (right) thing to do 100% of the time… thanks for sharing your thoughts… ve3ry much appreciated…
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I think Kevin had some good advice there that I will try to follow: just never say anything that tears down, only build up. Then if you are building up a reputation or a character, you can safely talk all you want. I admit I have trouble following the advice, but practice, practice, practice.
Great poem too.
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you’re right, practice makes perfect… thanks for sharing you thoughts… you are a blessing!
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very good food for thought. Thanks, and thanks to Kevin for reblog.
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Thanks Daryl… Many blessings to you…
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Wow. Thank you so much for the word. I needed it. I have kept my mouth shit when gossip happens. I have also been dragged into it, actually participating. Thanks for the kind rebuke.
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You are right, the tricky thing is how easily we get dragged in… I have fallen in that trap many times…
Thanks for the comment and the follow. I will reciprocate .
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Reblogged this on A "Literal" approach to God's word and commented:
EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT- by Walter Bright
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Great word! Since you asked how… Bless those who curse you… I looked up the word bless, it means to speak well of, a good report. Gestures, body language, eyes, and words, all convey meaning. My biggest challenge isn’t the word as much as the subtext I convey when asked my opinion. Reblogging this today! God bless you for this awesome and even though its a touchy issue, inspiring word.
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Thank you much Kevin… Blessings!
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It’s amazing how quickly things can unravel. It is so much easier to just stay away from it all.
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Great words. We do better spending our words in building up and praising our Lord. Thanks friend
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Great post and it is very true gossip hurts everyone that is involved. It really never really helps a situation.
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Your message really sounds familiar… Blessings brother… Bro. Pat
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Good post here and so true in deed! God Bless š
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