Stop the Gob

I remember a few years ago when I was a first year Beehive at girls camp, the Laurels would come into our tents each night and tell us bedtime stories. One story that I distinctly remember is "Stop the Gob." She told us how some people had been gossiping about her and her family, and how unhappy it made her. As I am going through high school, I understand more fully the importance of not gossiping. Gossip is one of the worst things we can do to another person. It is degrading, embarrassing, and in no way helpful. It is really easy to get caught up in gossip. In the moment gossip can look super cool and fun; all the popular kids do it. But gossip is a poison that lures you in little by little until you are ultimately destroyed. It is a tool used by satan to get us to bring others down, destroy friendships, and bury self-confidence. Refraining from gossip isn't always that easy, but following these three simple "DON'Ts" will make it a lot easier.

1. DON'T Start It.
The easiest way to quit something is to not do it in the first place. Before you say something think to yourself, "How would I feel if someone said this about me?" If you wouldn't want to hear someone say something about you, you probably shouldn't say it about someone else.  Think of everyone as a beloved child of God. Don't seek to destroy or hurt people, seek to help and boost them.

2. DON'T Spread it.
So, you didn't start this gossip, it was told to you by someone else. Does that make it OK to talk about? The answer is no. Spreading gossip is just as bad as starting it. Don't add fuel to the fire. Even though it seems like it is harmless, it isn't. It is extremely harmful to yourself and others to say untrue things about another person. Don't pass it on!

3. DON'T Feel it.
Lastly, don't let things you hear about someone influence the way you act towards them. Don't judge someone based on what you have heard of them. Give them the chance to show you what they are like. Don't define a person by the gossip about them, define them by how they have treated you personally.

Gossiping is an activity that life can go on without. It is a thing we have been advised not to do by church leaders, and something we should not seek out. It ruins lives. Don't be like the popular people who gossip. Be like Jesus Christ. Be an uplifting and loving person. It is worth it in the long run. I promise.

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