Slander

The lips of the righteous know what is pleasing;

But the mouth of the wicked twists things.

Proverbs 10:32

It is an honor for a man to stay away from the quarrel;

but those who love to quarrel are all fools.

Proverbs 20:3

Put away the deceit of your mouth

and don't be a gossip.

Proverbs 4:24

The words of the slanderer are like delicacies

and go straight into your head.

Proverbs 18:8

Be wise toward those outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Colossians 4:5-6

These verses all have to do with how we should communicate with others. This has affected me personally. I have observed for some time that people in groups like to speak negatively about people who are not present at the time. In keeping with the motto that only bad news is good news. I am certainly not the only one who has had experiences with this, as we find it in all social classes. And NONE of us can say that we have never done it ourselves. For me, however, it is not a question of guilt, but rather of what such things do to us.

Being there alone when others are being talked about badly has an impact on our minds and souls. Even if I am only part of the group as a listener, my opinion of that person is influenced. By the time I meet that person, I will have at least one of the sentences that were said in my head.

So I started to think about why I keep exposing myself to things that are clearly not good for me. And I realized that a certain fear prevents me from either staying away or even taking the side of the absent person. So what could I actively do to protect myself from such situations?

I started to protect myself from these group dynamics at work, for example, by distancing myself. At first it was really difficult and didn't really work. But over time I got better and better at it. I'm still friendly and helpful, but I'm still distant. And yes, my soul is much better now, but there's a catch.

As Christians, we should not distance ourselves from people, but set an example for them through the way we live. But if I distance myself to protect myself from negative influences, how can I set an example for others?

I am sure the answer can be found in the Bible, but unfortunately I am still searching for it.

I wish you a blessed week