Throughout life, kids, teens, even adults will gossip. That’s just how people are nowadays, and I’m guilty for it to. One of the habits that I’m trying to break is talking about other people when it’s really none of my business. Everybody does it at some point in their life, and some people just don’t want to change. I, on the other hand, want to start ignoring the negative in my life and start accepting people as they are. We all have made mistakes, and no one has any room to talk about someone else’s mistakes.

Although there are plenty of reasons to not gossip about anyone or anything, I have four main reasons that are most important.

1. It damages them.

When people are talking about a person. It will eventually reach the person that has been talked about. Whether it’s true or not, it’s nobody’s business except that persons. It hurts their feelings to be talked about because their family and friends could hear that rumor too, and they will get mad or upset. Rumors spread as quick as a blink. People that hear the rumor get the wrong idea about that person. It could hurt their self-esteem, confidence, and their family.

2. God says not to gossip.

In Exodus 23:1, it says,

“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.”

This Bible verse to me needs no explanation. It simply says to NOT spread false reports. And unless that person told you in person, you never know what’s true or false. Especially if it sounds like it’s not true, why would you go tell someone else? If it is true, have respect and do not spread it around especially if that person trusted you with that information.

James 1:26 says,

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”

This Bible verse is just telling us to take control of our tongues. I am a Christian, and everybody fails God each day. Everybody slips and talks about someone at sometime or another, but we have to pray for forgiveness. We have to strive to be as close to perfect as we can get.

Proverbs 10:18 says,

“Whoever conceals with hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool.”

This Bible verse is saying that the people that are lying and spread the rumors is a fool. Most of the time, the rumors are a lie, but even if the rumor is true, you are still spreading slander.

3. It doesn’t benefit anyone, especially you.

Ephesians 4:29 says,

“ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helping for building others up according to their needs, that may benefit those who listen.”

People are always listening to what others are saying. If you are being negative about something, people will see that you are a negative person. If you are being positive, then people will feed off of that and be positive too.

James 4:11 says,

“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it.”

This to me is telling us that we should not slander about other people. We shouldn’t talk about other people, and if we do, then we are being judged just as much as the person we talk about. When we judge someone, we are being judged ourselves.

Leviticus 19:16 says,

“'Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.”

Just as it says above, we are told not to spread rumors among other people, and we shouldn’t be putting that hurt and heartache on those people.

4. It could lead to much worse.

Especially teens, kids aren’t good with hearing that they are being talked about. They go home, sit alone, and don’t want to go back to school or work. Instead, they sit there and replay in their mind the rumors that are being said about them. They don’t want to face the kids that are saying mean stuff about them. Those that are being talked about could be going through a lot at home, and school could be the place where they get away from that. But if they are scared to go to school because they can’t stand up to those that are talking about them, then they feel like they have no place to go.