Cleaning Other People’s House

Think a minute…A man walked into a crowded store in a small town. It was noisy and full of people. Everybody was talking and going about their own business when suddenly a woman yelled out loudly to a man: “Hey two-timer! Did your wife finally forgive you?”

That store which was loud and noisy suddenly became amazingly quiet. Why? Because a nice, juicy bit of gossip was just thrown out and nobody wanted to miss it!

Someone said that when we gossip about others it’s like forcing our way into someone else’s house to clean it for them. We do it not because we’re being kind and helpful, but so we can make them look bad and show everybody else how dirty that person’s life is. The worse we make them look, the better we think we will look in comparison.

But it’s usually the opposite. People usually know how good you are by what you say about others, not by what others say about you. Do you remember the rhyme: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” It’s not true! Many people have been hurt far more by criticism and gossip than by sticks and stones.

Even if it is true that a teenager got into trouble, or that man committed adultery, or that person said something very wrong, they may have learned from their mistake and changed already.

But our cruel, unkind gossip about them is wrong and evil, and something we ourselves need to start changing today! The only person’s life you have the right and responsibility to correct is your own. That other person’s life is their own problem. It is not your job or right to talk about it to others. Remember, “What goes around comes around.” So the same bad things we told about others might also happen to us! Then, guess who people will be gossiping about? You.

 So if you’ve been hanging around with people who gossip and criticize others, you can decide right now to stop. If you will just ask Jesus Christ to forgive you, He will.

Then Jesus will give you His powerful love for others, so instead of hurting them you will want to help them. You’ll even defend and stand up for them when others talk badly about them. Then, someone just might do the same for you when the gossipers are talking badly about you. 

Just Think a Minute…


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