BROADCASTS.com

b'Hey, Jesus, we need to talk. I have to tell you about someone we both know. She tries to follow you, but she tends to gossip. She doesn\\u2019t make up lies or say cruel things, but she shares information she has heard about other people. She indulges in conversations based on rumors.\\nSometimes, she tells secrets. Friends trust her with their private lives, and she betrays them. When she\\u2019s sharing the information, she feels connected to whoever she\\u2019s talking to, as if by spreading the gossip, the listener is in her inner circle. Yet, she knows it\\u2019s wrong. And she hates feeling untrustworthy.\\nBut since she spreads gossip, other people are inclined to share gossip with her. They know she\\u2019ll be an eager listener. This makes her feel connected to whoever she\\u2019s gossiping with, but the connection isn\\u2019t authentic. The friendship is hollow.\\nJesus, the person I\\u2019m talking about is myself. If I were to gossip about myself, that\\u2019s what I\\u2019d say, I\\u2019m ashamed to admit. I feel small and petty after I gossip, so I ask you to please \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d (Psalm 141:3).\\nI no longer want to dish the dirt; I want to ditch the dirt. I want to stop hurting people. I want true friendships, and the only way to foster that is through love. Thank you for loving me. When I speak honestly with you, I remember how much you love me, how you died on the cross and rose from the dead for me, and I feel safe. I want to emulate your example. Help my words spread light, not gossip. \\u2022 Kelly Bakshi\\n\\u2022 If you know Jesus, your value and worth are totally secure in Him. You are loved beyond measure. How might knowing that God loves you affect the way you speak about others? \\n\\u2022 Because of Jesus\\u2019s death and resurrection, we can bring any struggle to Him in prayer. He wants us to be totally honest with Him about our sins and shortcomings, and He looks at us with compassion and forgiveness. Consider taking a moment to open your heart to Jesus, inviting Him to heal your hurts and transform you more and more into His image.\\nWhoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. Proverbs 17:9 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\n1Cor.10.13|Heb.4.13-Heb.4.16'