Daily Devotional for August 27, 2018
Dandelions
“I can’t believe it! I studied hard for that history test, and I only got a B!” Tami said as she and her mother walked Chestnut, their shaggy brown Yorkshire Terrier. “But Jade said Betty cheated and got an A. It’s not fair!”
“Jade caught Betty cheating?” Mom asked.
“I don’t think she saw it happen, but Jade hears about everything. It must be true because Betty never gets A’s.”
They stopped to let Chestnut sniff the ground. Chestnut pulled the leash toward a cluster of white spheres anchored in the grass. They were dandelion seed heads. Tami picked a feathery globe and blew the seeds until only a bare stem remained.
“Look how far the seeds are traveling!” she exclaimed.
As Chestnut chased the flying seeds, Mom asked, “Do you know what happens when they land?”
“They will grow into yellow dandelions—pretty weeds!”
Mom nodded. “Isn’t it amazing? Those seeds look delicate, but they hold so much power—just like words that start gossip.”
“I know what you’re going to say, Mom—gossip spreads as easily as dandelion seeds. Now that I think about it, Jade told Jason and Steve about Betty. I told Sandra, who is best friends with Jill, so she probably knows too.”
“See how words as flimsy as those seeds can take root and grow into gossip?”
Tami looked down. “When I was disappointed with my grade, the gossip somehow made me feel better. But I don’t feel good about it anymore, especially since there’s no proof Betty cheated. If Jade starts talking about Betty again, I’ll say I’d rather not talk about Betty behind her back.”
“That’s wise,” said Mom. “Jesus taught us to love one another, and that means we need to care about how our words affect others—even when it involves things that may be true. How would Betty feel if she knew you were telling people that she struggles to get good grades?”
Tami sighed. “She’d probably feel embarassed and hurt—and she’d be even more hurt if she knew I spread gossip about her cheating because of it.” Tami looked at her mom. “I’ll ask Jesus to forgive me for listening to gossip and to help me not spread it myself. Instead of wasting time on gossip, I’ll use it to study and get that A!” – Elena Dee
How about you?
Do you spread gossip about others? A few words of gossip can quickly spread and take root—and hurt many feelings in the process. The next time you’re tempted to repeat something about someone that they’d find hurtful, stop and think about how much Jesus loves you. Then show that same love to others by not wasting time on gossip.
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