Short story: A pastor sermons his people on gossiping, and other forms of putdowns
@innertalks (21024)
Australia
September 13, 2022 4:02am CST
The good Reverend, Pastor, Ben Jones, was giving a sermon to his parishioners, on one Sunday morning, on the subject of wording our disapproval against someone else, which can be a form of gossip.
Here is what he said:
“All speech should be constructive, and voiced never as a put-down.”
“We should endeavour to build someone up, not pull them down.”
“We should talk to someone openly, face to face, to voice our concerns directly with them, rather than talk derisively about their behaviour to someone other than to them, behind their backs.”
“We should try to understand their position, not undermine them.”
“The crow flies straight, not crookedly to its goal, and so each of us should be so one directed too, and not stray aside to add gossip to someone else, we should go directly to the person concerned, if we have any issue with them, and talk it out with them, rather than talk it about to others.”
“Ok, that’s my lot for today”
“I will leave you today with this verse from our Bible.”
“It’s from the New Testament book of James chapter 1, verse 26.”
“'Those who consider themselves religious, and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.'”
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
"Gossip is poison."
Gisele Bundchen, a Brazilian model said this.
Gossip poisons all who it comes in contact with, including the gossiper too.
6 people like this
7 responses
@Shiva49 (26200)
• Singapore
13 Sep 22
Those who gossip about others to us will also do the same behind our backs about us too.
It becomes a vicious cycle and a waste of time.
I like to put it across gently when I differ from others and not go about bad-mouthing them behind their backs.
That way, we are only demeaning ourselves.
We need to cultivate genuine understanding and gossip comes in the way.
5 people like this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
13 Sep 22
Yes, genuine understanding, and trying to achieve that, goes a long way to getting past areas of misunderstanding, and connects us both to love too, which includes such genuine understanding in its mix too.
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
13 Sep 22
Yes, some careless, and thoughtless remark, made years ago, can often be dredged up against us, in later years, especially, if we have raised our profile since, and are trying to reach higher in our life, earlier indiscretions can surely act against us later in our life.
Many a rising star, have found this out the hard way.
@58lordstreet (1669)
•
13 Sep 22
yeah people dont though lol, then they tell you they are just saying it like it is if you say you are offended....which makes it even worse
3 people like this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
13 Sep 22
Yes, the damage is already done with careless speech, and then we might have to backpedal to try to fix the situation.
Nothing can put right again such idle gossip, though.
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
13 Sep 22
@58lordstreet Nobody can ever fully know how it is for another person, so they shouldn't try to paint their own picture over the picture of somebody else.
@dgobucks226 (34356)
•
14 Sep 22
Very informative post filled with wisdom on how to get along better with others. I remember reading a book published by Dale Carnegie called How to Win Friends and Influence People. In it there was a phrase which said one should not criticize, condemn or complain about others. I found this to be very helpful and goes right along with gossip.
3 people like this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
15 Sep 22
Thanks.
I also came across that book, a long time ago too. It was well written, a classic in its time, and still very relevant for today too.
We should praise, rather than criticize, build people up in a friendly way, not pull them down, in the vindictive way of gossip.
@macayada (1497)
• Cavite City, Philippines
15 Sep 22
@dgobucks226 True, one example I have in mind is during my school days, those students who did not go well in school are now successfully living abroad and are happy raising their own family. You can never judge a person from where he/she is standing right now. They may not be good today but good fortune may find their way and so people should not act as if they knew the fate of the person they characterize on their own. One of the important lessons in life is " do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you"
3 people like this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
15 Sep 22
@innertalks There seems to be a glitch on the system, as for some reason I am seeing this post twice here.
@Nakitakona (56302)
• Philippines
25 Sep 22
The tongue cuts like a sharp two-edged sword. Thus everyone be extra careful on what to say to others. It may make or unmake a person.
2 people like this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
26 Sep 22
Yes, the Bible tells us to be wary of our tongue, as it can become our worst enemy, pulling us away from truth.
@Nakitakona (56302)
• Philippines
28 Sep 22
@innertalks precisely. Thus we should be extra careful in opening our mouth.
2 people like this
@macayada (1497)
• Cavite City, Philippines
14 Sep 22
We are carefree when young but ponders when fully ripened in time, be kind instead of being mean.
There are those whose happiness is hurting others because for themselves they lack confidence, with so much insecurities in things that they do. These people, that instead of lifting others, they trample on them.
So sad that they are trying to beat obstacles in life by pulling down others instead of seeing the achievements they got which serves as an inspiration for their own to succeed.
2 people like this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
14 Sep 22
We have this mentality in Australia, unfortunately, and it's even been given a name, the "tall poppy syndrome."
Anybody's poppy that grows taller than the norm, is cut back to size, by the lower-sized poppies under them.
They want to pull people back down to their own size.
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
15 Sep 22
@Shiva49 Yes, in a business, we should all be trying to move the business forwards, not be a deadweight, that we attach to others to annoy, and to pester them, and try to stop the good workers from working.
We can be the same with our own selves, too, when we are our own worst enemy, and go around shooting ourselves in the foot too.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26200)
• Singapore
14 Sep 22
@innertalks I had been a victim at a workplace where I got everything in order to make it smooth sailing.
And later someone joined and he put all his energy to torpedo all the good work set in place.
He threw a spanner in the works and soon we found ourselves in the deep sea!
Not easy when the enemy was within.
2 people like this
@AngelicOne (80)
• Jamaica
5 Oct 22
Gossip hurts people emotionally and professionally sometimes. I have seen where gossip caused people to lose their jobs and watched it destroyed promising people. Know this though that such persons who partake in this activity does not survive for long. My answer to gossip is if it's not helping anyone, I dont want to know or hear. The Bible says where no wood is the fire goes out and where there is no talebearer all strife ceases.
2 people like this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
5 Oct 22
Well said, thanks. Yes, our tongue, left unwatched, can get us into trouble.
