I was tempted with gossip constantly this week. Every day, 8 hours a day...
Lately, work has been very negative and people have been really unhappy, myself included. It only seems natural that when you are in a negative space, gossip just seems to fit right in. Gossip is nonstop at my work and sometimes I feel that if I just agree, it will be easier rather than making a scene to try and stand up for what I truly feel. There is one girl whom I actually really like and she's a really good friend, however, the sh*t that comes out of her mouth is horrific. She is racist, she is hurtful and she thrives on the attention that it brings. I have to admit, some of the things she says are amusing but when I thought about it this week, I was taken back at how hurtful they truly were and for me to laugh at her comments, made me just as bad as she was. One incident was they were talking about a lady that used to work with us and our entire office didn't like her because she was a little "odd" and outspoken. Everyone said so many hurtful things about her and I just nodded my head and agreed, even though I really never had a problem with her. Ughhh, I was so weak. Even though I didn't say anything and chose silence, I was still part of the gossip.
I really felt the Holy Spirit telling me to intervene and do something. I knew I was doing something wrong but I knew if I said something or tried to stand up for her, I would be criticized for not agreeing with their mockery. How ridiculous is that? And even more ridiculous is me being afraid of being made fun of for trying to stop the horrible gossip. I used silence but it seemed like the "easy way out". It did nothing, it solved nothing and the gossip continued and I continued to "agree" by being there and not telling them to stop. I can honestly say I have been thinking about this for the past few months and it's starting to hurt me. I truly hate the person I am when I talk about others and I can't handle listening to the negative and hurtful gossip that is happening everyday right in front of me. My workplace will more than likely always be like this but that just means I have to start being strong and standing up for what my heart truly feels and what God really wants for us. It's SOO hard to get away from it when you are constantly stuck in the middle of it. I am really going to work on this and will continue to stop gossip the rest of my life, because let's face it, we are always going to be faced with it.
Thanks, Jaycee. What a crazy week it has been. I can say that my week wasn't a victory but I have really been motivated to take action and spread love, rather than hurt.
Chelsey, I’m sorry to hear you had a difficult week with the temptation to gossip at work being at an all-time high due to the negative personalities surrounding you. However I believe God has given me something to pass onto you. Paul says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-3). If I only get tested to gossip once a week (which could be very well accurate as I don’t have many friends over here) and I fail each week until a month goes by and then I finally conquer the temptation one time, I am not developing my christlike character as fast as you, who is being tested 8 hours a day, five days a week. God’s word says that He will not test you beyond your strength, which means that God believes in you. God knows that you are capable of overcoming the temptation to gossip at work. Just as a father would never ask his three year old daughter to grab a pair of gloves and help carry a ten pound block of cement into the dumpster, your Father in Heaven would never place you in such a negative, shadow-of-death environment where people feed off gossip like maggots feed off of rotting meat- If He didn’t know you COULD handle it (turn away from it). I believe God is trying to birth this perseverance in you, and even though you slipped up a few times last week, God isn’t going to condemn you, no, because He knows where you heart is at, just as you said “I have to start being strong and standing up for what my heart truly feels and what God really wants for us”. Keep your head up and know that you are on the right track. I especially love what you said about how it felt like the easy way out to be ‘silent’ when the girl at your work was being ripped apart by gossip, and how you still felt as though you ‘agreed’ by standing there. Whether or not you obeyed that prompting to ‘say something, do something’, it is clear that you are lead by the Holy Spirit. I read something the other day that confirms this. “The Spirit doesn’t seek only to conquer evil (being silent); he fully intends to overcome evil with good”. The fact that you have the desire in your heart to not just walk away from the gossip, but to be a leader and a reflection of Christ’s love, shows the level of spiritual maturity you have in your heart. I am proud of you Chelsey for your raw honesty in your week’s testimony and I have no doubt in my mind that it won’t be long before you are a advocate of spreading Jesus love and Gods grace throughout your workplace. Keep your chin up and remember that God has placed you among the wolves because He believes you can overcome the temptations with Good
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