Spilled Tea Is Just a Mess

Walking with Christ means we are at odds with a world that is against everything He stands for. Don’t get me wrong, the world loves the loving part of Jesus’s character, but not so much the holy character He also has as the Judge of All Mankind. One sin that is often overlooked by even practicing Christians is gossip.

Let me spill the tea for you.

Gossip is listed among sins such as murdering another human being. God hates murder, and He also hates gossip.

“They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips” (Romans 1:29 [ESV]).

If gossip is listed with murder and deceit, then it is something worth paying attention to in a negative sense.

I don’t gossip. I despise gossip. We are not to do such things as believers, even if the information is true. That is the “evil tongue” in Hebraic thinking. Your heart is revealed in how you act toward others, especially when they aren’t around.

Gossip is equal to murder in the sense that it kills a person’s character and reputation, and truth be told, most of the time it is a lie.

Perhaps people do it to feel bigger than someone else, or because they hate them for some reason that I can only speculate about.

But the best thing to do is ignore it.

The smallest minds discuss what other people are doing.

It’s likely because they aren’t doing something in their own lives, so they stoop to belittling others and tearing someone else down.

And the truth is, you can’t control what other people say, so screw it. Let them talk and say all kinds of things about you falsely. God is the ultimate judge who will not let a deceptive person go unpunished. Jesus said that if that happens to you, consider yourself blessed.

It is not our job to spill the tea, and it isn’t our job to turn their tea table over like Jesus did to the greedy moneychangers at the Temple.

Just keep doing your purpose. I suspect people gossip because they have no purpose.

There are even Christians who do this.

“She thinks the Earth is older than 6,000 years—what a heretic. She’ll burn in hell forever.”

“That person doesn’t agree with church traditions and thinks sin is only what the written text says.” I’m guilty of that one, I will admit. Truth is truth, even if you don’t like it.

“He or she got a divorce. I knew they were frauds. It’s a sin.”

“You can’t preach while having a tattoo.”

Etc.

Who cares what people think?

People said all kinds of evil things about Jesus, the prophets, righteous people, and even the kindest, most gentle people in this world have people that don’t like them.

You can’t please everyone, and that will always be fine.

The best thing to do is follow our Savior’s example and pray for our enemies. They may not know what they are doing or might think it’s just how the world is.

And that’s true.

That is how the world is.

But we’re not of it, are we?

We are called to a higher standard, because our purpose is to shape this world for kingdom impact.

There is no room for gossip in the Kingdom of God.

I’m not saying people can’t have conversations about others.

But I’m saying that people who are wise restrain their lips.

I’ve gotten to the point where I truly don’t care what others think about what I stand for.

I’ve gotten flack from secular people and Christians, too, who don’t understand proper definitions and what sin truly means.

I’ve gotten angry responses for something as innocuous as saying we’re not in the End Times.

Two of the fruits of the Holy Spirit are gentleness and self-control. God owns vengeance, and He will repay in the way He sees fit. Trust me, God has the best sense of humor and the best plans to ruin an enemy’s day. Leave it in His hands alone.

Restrain your lips from speaking evil and fill the world with light.

Pray for those who say things falsely, and hope they understand their error.

If you come from a past of mistakes and someone can’t see past the “old” you and doesn’t understand people grow for the better, then let it be and live the truth you know.

Seek the Kingdom of God and treat others with the love of Christ, knowing it’s a joy and pleasure to “get” to love others. It’s a grace from on high.

While I don’t believe in being a doormat, I do believe in opening the door for others.

The best way to do that is to show them how the gospel has affected your life, and to show others Jesus in you.

If people can’t see that, then that’s on them, and dust off your feet and walk away.

God has called us to peace, not strife.

So, build others up as much as you can.

If the world were busy building everyone else up, seeing the potential and gifts in others instead of tearing down their personalities and desires, imagine the things humanity could achieve and how different the world might be.

May perfect shalom and blessings follow you as you navigate your walk with the Father and Son.