A Little Bird Told Me

Don’t bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath,
And don’t abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home.
Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around.
Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.

Ecclesiastes 10:20 The Message

Don’t say in private what you wouldn’t say in public.

But it’s so easy! We aren’t gossiping, right? We are just sharing our “concerns” about a friend or associate. Reputations aren’t the only thing ruined by unguarded words. Relationships and missions can be badly damaged or ruined.  Think of organizations or churches you know that have split. Membership – the body of Christ - fractured because a legitimate concern was buried in salacious “details”.

If we feel we have a valid concern, the best course of action is to address it with the person involved not discuss it with those that aren’t. We know this! But, here is the rub; according to Psychology Today, “Humans gossip in the same way that chimpanzees groom each other. In chimps, grooming causes endorphins to be released in the brain, inducing euphoria. In humans, gossip generates a small high.” 

Truth: we enjoy it.

It is really hard not to contribute. It’s like chocolate waved in front of us! It may be wrapped in concern or purpose but if it is spoken about someone rather than to someone, it is gossip. Speaking to others isn’t seeking resolution. Here is the gut check: Would you steal?  What if we viewed gossip the same way we view theft? When we speak of another, aren’t we stealing their reputation?

Texas politician Sam Rayburn said, “Among my most prized possessions are words I’ve never spoken.”

Truer words never spoken.

XO, Mia