Have you ever heard people talk about you, and you keep thinking about what they said about you, or you suspect they are talking about you? It can dominate your thoughts and put you in a tailspin (for lack of better words).
In the past, I have had other “Christian” women talk about me. Say things to make them look better and to elevate themselves. I was hurt and tried to prove to people I was not what she was saying. It ended badly. It was not my battle. I wasted a lot of time when Romans 12:19 says the Lord will repay.
Doesn’t take away the hurt or pain.
Years ago, a lady who would never talk about others and I was discussing this, and she told me this. An older lady had told her this: “If whom you are talking to is not part of the problem or solution, then don’t talk to them. You do not have the right to talk about them with others if you would not say the same thing to them face to face.” That would shut down a lot of our conversations.
Another example is if you could see the words (gossip) you say about others as a physical bite or wound on them. What would they look like? Some people would look like they had been in a battle.
So, what is the answer? 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast our cares to God. It may take time and practice to cast and wait for God to answer. Plus, He sees their heart and all the reasons why. We all live under a “HIPAA law.” Do we have the right to talk about others?
So, do you run to the throne or the phone? We need to take Godly counsel, but who is that? God or others? Who do we talk to first? We have a direct line to the one who cares and sees all. God’s phone number is Jerimiah 33:3. Self-examination can be challenging and brutal. We may not like what we see. It may be we are the very same person we are talking about.
What did I learn from my experience? The Bible states in several places, “Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? (Psalms 118:6, Hebrews 13:6, and Matthew 10:28, to name a few). So, I do what God tells me to and allow the Holy Spirit’s conviction to work in and through my heart (and theirs)—seeking God if what they say is true and what to do about it. And spend time to pray for them.
Is this also a point of examination of your own heart? Do you believe what others are saying? Is that what you are also doing? Have you talked to God about them and the problem BEFORE going to others?
IN HIM
Pastor Mary
www.momentswithpastormary.blog
Text to give: TITUS to 53-555
