The Telephone Game — Gossip vs. Encouragement - Monday
Today’s Verse
Proverbs 18:21
Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. (MSG)
A few years ago, my family and I decided to renovate our kitchen. We ordered all the materials and set to work. We were excited to start and on Day 1 started demoing. By the end of the day, the entire kitchen had been torn apart. Countertops were gone, flooring was gone. Cabinets had been taken apart. Sink was disconnected. We had successfully demoed the entire kitchen. And as we stared at the utter chaos in front of us, the reality hit. “It’s going to take a lot longer to rebuild than it did to tear it all out.”
It’s amazing how true that is with our words as well. We can spend years cultivating a relationship, and in a matter of seconds, it can be torn down with harsh and unkind words. It’s so easy to tear someone down…and it takes so much time and work to build someone up. In fact, a study at MIT found that it could take as many as 17 positive interactions to counteract one negative interaction. And although we can’t put our gossipping vs. encouraging interactions into an algebraic equation, it does give us some perspective. We need to be overwhelmingly encouraging with our words…and one unkind word can undo all of that encouragement.
This week, be conscious of what comes out of your mouth each day. Anytime you talk to or about someone, put it in a category. Is it helpful or uplifting? Is it hurtful or gossip? If you’re anything like me, I’m sure this little exercise will surprise you.
REFLECTION
Take time today to account for the words that come out of your mouth. Take special note of how often unkind words come out. At the end of the day, take a hard look at how you used your words throughout the day. Then take a few moments to ask God to help you use your words to build people up.