Proverbs 18:8
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down into the person’s innermost being.
“How do I get this goodness inside me?” That’s a little Brian Regan quote for ya.
Okay, so I realize that doesn’t have much to do with what we’re talking about. We’re talking about gossip. And, man is it true. It’s really hard to unhear something. Have you ever heard some gossip about someone, and it totally changed your opinion about that person? But then, later you find out that what you heard wasn’t actually true. And even though you know that thing you heard wasn’t true, it’s still hard to see that person without thinking about what you heard.
And the thing about gossip is, the more you hear it, the more of it you want. It’s like trying to stop eating chocolate chip cookies when they come out of the oven. You can stand there and look at them, see their melty goodness and smell that intoxicating aroma – but as long as you don’t eat one, you’re okay.
But…..
…..if you dare to pick one of those devils up, you’re in for a world of hurt. They’re so soft that they melt in your mouth. So, when you eat one, it doesn’t really feel like you ate one. So you have another, and another, and another. If you don’t have self-control, you’ll eat a whole pan’s worth of cookies.
It’s the same way with gossip. If you get that first taste, and it goes down to your soul, you’re in danger to want to hear more and more and more. Soon, you won’t even notice that you’re gossiping or others are gossiping to you.
So, be careful of gossip, you just might end up with a stomach ache.
