Gossip-proof Your Friendships

• Who are your closest friends?

• What does gossip do to friendship?

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
Proverbs 16:28

There are few things more valuable than a close friend. And there are few things that can destroy a friendship as quickly and efficiently as gossip can. Friendships are built on trust, and gossip shatters trust instantly. Think about it: If you found out your good friend was telling other people personal things about you, how could you ever trust that friend again?

We all know people who like to stir up trouble. These people know that one of the easiest ways to do this is to spread gossip. They enjoy creating drama and turning friends against friends. God calls these individuals “perverse”—probably not a word you want to use to describe yourself!

If someone is gossiping about a friend, don’t listen; walk away. If you do hear gossip, don’t believe it. Certainly don’t repeat it. No one can make you participate in gossip. And if you are one of the few people who refuses to do so, your friends will take notice.

PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for the close friends that you have given us. Please protect these friendships and help us to avoid gossip. Amen.