Daily Devotional for October 3, 2022
Scattered Seeds
Isabella sat on the grass and watched her grandmother get ready for a family picnic in her backyard. “Grandma, what should I do when I hear something about someone else and then my friends ask me about that person?” Isabella asked as she picked a dandelion. “Should I tell them what I heard?”
Grandma spread a red-and-white checked tablecloth on the picnic table. “That depends,” she replied. “Was what you were told true? Could it hurt the person it was about? Is it something that person would want others to know?”
Isabella carefully picked a dandelion that had gone to seed. She blew hard on the fluffy, white globe, and the seeds drifted in all directions. They landed on the grass like tiny parachutes.
“Repeating bad things about others is called gossip,” Grandma continued. She looked at the dandelion stem Isabella was holding. “Why don’t you gather up all the seeds you just scattered?”
Isabella looked surprised. “Grandma, that’s impossible! The wind blew them all over the place. I could never get them all back.”
Grandma nodded. “That’s what happens with gossip too. Someone tells you something. You tell somebody who repeats it to someone else, who repeats it to someone else, who repeats it…and on it goes. It’s as if the wind carries it in all directions. Gossip can spread quickly, and it’s impossible to take it all back.”
Isabella twirled the dandelion stem in her fingers. “So I guess I shouldn’t tell anyone what I heard.”
“Unless it’s something an adult needs to know about, I’d say you’re right,” Grandma said as she set forks and napkins out on the table. “Gossip is hurtful and can even break up friendships. So instead of repeating unkind things we hear about others, we need to trust Jesus to help us be the kind of friend He is. Instead of rumors, we can spread His love and kindness in the way we talk about others.”
With a smile, Isabella nodded. “Okay, I’ll do that. I’ll stop those rumors in their tracks!” Then she got up to help Grandma finish setting the table.
-Jacqueline J. Leaycraft
How about you?
Do you repeat unkind things you hear about others? It may seem harmless, but gossip is hurtful, and the words you say can’t be taken back. If it’s something an adult should know about, talk to a parent or teacher. But don’t gossip about people. Jesus loves them, just like He loves you. Trust Him to help you say only good and helpful things about others so they can hear His love in your words.
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