Guest Post by Sara of The Holy Mess
My teenage daughter came to quietly stand next to me in the church entryway as I chatted with members on a bustling Sunday morning. As the pastor’s wife of a large church, Sundays are full of work, worship, and commitments, but I love it.
One look at my daughter’s face, though, told me something was not okay.
She pulled me aside and shared a conversation she had just heard. I was left speechless, then shaken and angry. Several church members had talked about confidential information concerning our family. Word had spread around the church, and then gotten back to our daughter.
People were gossiping about us.
Gossip Hurts
Have you ever been the subject of someone else’s gossip? Almost everyone has been there at one time or another. At the least it’s painful and embarrassing, and even worse it can damage relationships, careers and families.
As a pastor’s family, we live in the proverbial fish bowl. The reality is that people will talk about our family, and there’s not much I can do to make it go away.
If you have been the subject of other people’s gossip, I feel your pain. It’s bad enough when it’s just my husband and me, but when it affects my children, my mama bear instincts are to fight back with everything in me!
As a Christian who wants to respond as the Bible teaches, how should you respond when people gossip about you?
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Ready to Stop Gossip — and Follow God?
Maybe you know gossip is wrong — but you’re not sure how to respond when someone else asks you, Have you heard…? Or perhaps you find yourself falling into gossip, when all you meant to do was share a prayer request?
Learning how to hear God’s voice, obey Him, and follow His will is the best way to walk with God and free yourself from the “little things” — that actually aren’t so little.
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- What does God want me to do?
- How do I apply the Bible’s instructions to my life today?
- Where is God calling me personally?
- How can I make a difference right where I am?
- How should I navigate relationships with those who think, act, or believe differently than I do?
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What to Do When People Gossip About You
There are three distinct ways to handle other people’s gossip about you. Each is correct according to the Bible, so this requires much prayer and discernment to decide how to handle your specific situation. You might even find yourself using all of these for the same problem, depending on the day and with whom you are speaking.
1. Speak Your Truth (and Do it First When You Can)
Your first option is to get the truth out there on your own terms. I realize this is sometimes risky and scary, and can only be done in some situations. Some information must remain confidential. However, this is my preferred method most of the time.
Secrets and assumed secrets are what fuel gossip. If you tell the truth first, there isn’t much for people to gossip about.
A couple years ago, my husband made the incredibly tough decision to publicly announce to our congregation that he was struggling with depression. We went into this decision with the support of our elders, his doctor and therapist, and I stood by his side while he made this announcement. My husband is now recovered from that burn-out and emotional depletion. While it wasn’t an easy time, his honesty made it so that people did not have to secretly talk and wonder about what was going on with him.
2. Be Silent
The second option is to simply allow the gossip to be there. Trust that God will protect you and provide for your needs. Consider Exodus 14:14, when God is instructing Moses during the parting of the Red Sea: “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
One of my friends often quotes this phrase about gossip,
What other people think of me is none of my business.
It’s tough to be silent when you know others are speaking about you behind your back, but often it’s the best course of action.
3. Confront with Love
Perhaps the most tricky in situations with gossip, yet also the most helpful, is to go directly to the person who has hurt you. Pray first to be sure you are going with correct intentions and that your emotions are in check. The goal of the conversation is to restore the relationship, not pick a fight.
Ask questions; don’t accuse. Gossip requires more than one person and usually includes a number of people.
It’s also possible that the source is not who you think. I once thought my best friend had shared one of my secrets, when in fact one of my children had overheard a conversation at home, and shared all the details with her friends at school the next day! I had no one to blame but myself.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” –Matthew 18:15
A Few Final Tips For Dealing With Gossip:
- Allow yourself the hurt feelings you will have, and don’t push those away. If other people gossip about you, it’s normal to feel hurt or even betrayed. Give yourself time to grieve.
- Whether you choose to speak or be silent, remember to do it with love. Colossians 3:14 says, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” This is not an easy task, but it is your calling.
Discover How to Hear God’s Voice and Follow His Will
Just as gossip can hurt relationships — encouragement can build them. Are you looking for ways you can show God’s grace, right where you are? Or wondering how you can use your gifts and follow God’s will for your life?
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Practical, encouraging, and full of biblical truth, Follow God’s Will is designed to help you answer questions including:
- What does God want me to do?
- How do I apply the Bible’s instructions to my life today?
- Where is God calling me personally?
- How can I make a difference right where I am?
- How should I navigate relationships with those who think, act, or believe differently than I do?
- And so many more!
Want to start reading for free?
Simply enter your first name and email below, and I’ll send you an exclusive “first-peek” right away, right to your inbox!
Have you ever had people gossip about you? How did you respond to the situation?
We are warned about this type of behavior in the bible. Satan runs around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist any temptations to avenge yourself. Vengeance is his. In today’s world, gossip and baiting others for it is becoming the norm. It’s very sad to see lives being destroyed because their flesh is too weak to resist it. We need to bridle our tongues or our religion is worthless. That’s really the hardest when we live in our carnal flesh. We need to be so filled with the Holy Spirit and God’s wisdom living as his vessels for him that there is nothing man can do to us that can harm us. God is omnipresent, he knows exactly what’s being said and choices being made in darkness. Cast your burdens onto him. I’ve experienced being gossipped about as well and had to give up my fleshly carnal desires to defend myself. When we avenge ourselves, gossippers will even gossip a way to use that against us. When Jesus returns, he will know the truth. Wait on him, pray, grow in your faith, have self control and read the bible. God is our refuge. ?
The best advice I’ve heard, about responding to gossip, about ourselves, is to check our behavior to make sure we aren’t doing anything that could be misinterpreted. If we keep acting like Godly women, eventually, ppl will say, “That doesn’t sound like her. It sounds like gossip.” The other advice for making your own friends, is when someone new shows up at your church, offer to show her around, & sit with you. Then invite her to lunch at your home, so she can feel more comfortable at church. Pick these new ppl, off to come over for lunch, one by one, & eventually you have your own group of friends.