Corona Chores Checklist
Has anyone ever desired to be a part of what everyone else knows? Sometimes it’s really tempting to be “in the know” rather than “out of the loop”. We feel valued when someone shares something with us that few other people know. Even more, there is power in sharing that secret with others. When the secret is something positive, like a surprise birthday party for someone, it is great fun for everyone. But when secrets tear people down instead of building them up, the results can be devastating.
Gossip is something EVERYONE struggles with. Some of us don’t even realize that we are gossiping when we do. Gossip is a betrayal of trust. Have you ever experienced someone breaking your trust in the form of gossip? Maybe you’re the one who broke the trust of someone else by saying something. When you hear negative things about you from someone you trust,it’s a horrible feeling. Trust is not easily earned, especially after it’s been broken. Most people gossip to feel accepted by others. Everyone likes someone who can “spill the tea”.
Read 1 Corinthians 13. Can you truly love someone if we are constantly involved in gossip about them?. Before you speak or act, ask yourself, “Is this patient and kind?” “Am I just boasting or speaking out of envy?” In fact, make a regular practice of evaluating your entire life against this lofty set of goals. Starting in verse 4, replace the word “love” with your name. “___ is patient”, “___ is kind”, “___ does not envy”, etc. Are those true statements? Jesus said people will know you belong to Him if you love one another.
This is why it’s so important to be aware of the smells around you. When you begin to hear information about a situation that is not uplifting someone, you have to be the bucket of water that stops the spread of the gossip “fire”. When you clean up your surroundings you’ll be that bucket of water.
Challenge:
Read Proverbs 26:20.
What does it say about gossip? What is 1 way you can be a better “bucket of water” to the gossip fire?
Read 1 Corinthians 13.
Text Elijah and Syd what you got from it.