~~ by tkbrown
9 September 2020 — Good Morning, I hope you had a Blessed and Peaceful day since our last communication. I was reading a peer blogger’s site this morning and the three words below popped out! So, let’s look at them and see what this is about.
“Coffee and Gossip. . . . “
. . . coffee break
a haiku ~~ by tkbrown
Morning coffee break,
water fountain milieu crowd
gossip and banter.
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“Coffee and Gossip. . . . “ said a blogging peer, and I knew what the topic of “My Morning Do . . . ” must be. I had already debated whether to write about this and was still unsure. After reading the comment, I knew–Yes, this is today’s topic!
In my haiku, I mention the water fountain, but coffee and gossip can be brought together in most any place and in most any time. The effect and the affect are still the same. Medical science has now shown that coffee is good for the health in some persons–so long as you do not partake of more than four cups per day. (Always check with your doctor before you imbibe.) When I was told to increase from one to two cups a day. I rejoiced because there was a time, I drank much more coffee per day than that, but I had been advised to cut it out completely. I did cease consumption for a few years, but eventually added one cup per day back. The gossip part–I tried not to engage; however, I am human and must enter the guilty plea for occasional infraction.
Today, I would like us to think on gossip a bit. I would like to engage your minds a bit with some questions about gossip and you:
- Do you enjoy the thought of being the subject of someone’s gossip?
- I once thought long and hard on this question. The answer: No, I do not enjoy the thought of being the subject of someone’s gossip. If they cannot–or will not–say it to me, I believe they should not say it. So, I should not engage in gossip about someone–anyone–else. Jesus said, “‘Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets,'” Matthew 7:12. Personally, I believe gossip is a form of bullying. Gossip is never of the positive nature; thus it is always harmful to someone.
- Do you ever engage in idle gossip about others?
- While it is easy to say a particular negative behavior is never engaged, in all likelihood, it is engaged at some point–simply because we are human. We can never get it right one hundred percent of the time. I try extremely hard not to talk about others if I am not talking to that person. It is exceedingly difficult to maintain. I sometimes do not even realize I am gossiping about someone, then I catch myself–and I am so ashamed. I have prayed and asked God to help me not do this. So, I am sure it is He who shows me what I am doing–so I can learn to stop.
- Do you believe your gossip has ever been harmful to another?
- For much of my life, I never thought about this. Although I was never one to talk about others intentionally, I did engage this behavior from time to time. I am sad to say on this day: Looking back, my discussions about others–that I do remember–were never of the positive nature; so, yes, they were harmful to others. Regardless of how innocently we engage the behavior, it harms another because gossip is never in the positive or affirmative realm of discussion.
- Do you know what God says about “gossip”?
- Gossip is a topic rarely discussed in church settings. I wonder why. As Christians, it should always be foremost in our mind as a behavior to avoid. It is never pleasing to God.
- Firstly, it does not please God because it is not what we would want others to do regarding us.
- Secondly, Proverbs 17:9 says, “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.” Thus, any repeat of a transgression to another is harmful. I am separating myself from a friend when I do this. In many instances, the friendship will be no more.
I want to leave you with this thought: If you truly want to act as a Christian, ask yourself–“What would Jesus do?”–and ask God to show you how often you talk “about” others rather than “to” them. You might be surprised! I was!
A few other scriptures for your perusal at your own pace:
- Proverbs 18:18 — “The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.”
- Proverbs 18:21 — “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
- James 1:26 — “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”
All scripture above is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV).
I hope all who are reading have a wonderful and blessed day! Be safe!
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by tkbrown 