Have you ever been so hurt by someone that a dozen fireworks of emotion are about to come flying out of your mouth?! But not to that individual, right? We calmly walk away or send a passive aggressive text or maybe just stand there in silence. But as soon as we walk away those words come flying out to the friends that are nice enough to sit there and listen to our anger and mellow dramatic stories.

Yeah? Same.

So it’s the start of 2018 (well, it’s still January) and I have this really awesome endeavor on my heart that I’d like to share with you all: Let’s kiss Gossip Girl goodbye. No, not the deeply dramatic show, she can stay. But, I am talking about the gossip girl that seems to be a minor identity in every known female’s life.

No one wants to admit it. “We were just making a point.” “I just needed to let off some steam.” “I was only venting because she hurt my feelings.” “It’s the truth!”

Trust me, I get it. Every girl likes to talk. Every girl needs someone to confide in. Every girl has those moments were her emotions lead her tongue into words that cannot be erased.

But those words hurt people. And it will probably be sooner rather than later where you say something at the wrong time or to the wrong person and your gossiping tongue gets bit…hard.

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of hurting people’s feelings!! I want 2018 to be a year where people are uplifted. I want people to see the love of Jesus Christ through me. I don’t want to be seen, because most of the time I mess things up and give Jesus a bad rep. But when He shines through me, things are a lot prettier.

James 3:6 says “the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life.”

You see that?? Our tongue brutally messes up everything if we do not learn to control it!! But then James goes on to make the most horrible proclamation of all in verse 8: “but no human being can tame the tongue”…

What?!

So gossip is awful and unwholesome talk comes from my mouth but I have no power to control it?! Cool.

But wait y’all, that’s just another thousandth reason why Jesus is amazing!!!! We cannot tame our tongue, but HE CAN. He works through us and fine tunes the ‘user errors’ that occurred with the fall of man.

In my flesh, I am unable to live a life anything like Jesus. I am unable to lift people up with pure motives. I am unable to have patience and self control when under stress. I am unable to speak only that which is excellent.

So how are we to accomplish this impossible task?? How are we to kiss goodbye the gossip girl in our lives? Well, the only way we can truly and confidently complete this task is through FULL submission to the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control” -Galatians 5:22-23

The bolded words in the verse above are the words that stand out to me as a part of taming our tongue. We cannot say uplifting things if we do not love each other. We cannot control our tongue if we are not patient and kind toward those around us. We cannot stop our unwholesome talk without self control. But most importantly, we cannot have any of these characteristics without being lead by the Spirit. 

They are not just called “fruit of the Spirit” because it is something our spirit should hold. No. If you notice, Spirit is CAPITALIZED. Which means it is addressing THE Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Therefore, these traits are called the fruit of the Spirit because they blossom and flourish within you only when you have the Holy Spirit living inside you and leading you!

This is evident again in John:

“Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4

We cannot have self control and the ability to refrain from gossip without submitting to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and control of our lives.

Taming the tongue is impossible for the human being, but nothing is impossible with God. So for this 2018 year, I urge you to abide in Jesus Christ, and submit your lives to the Holy Spirit. Let Him lead you and trust in God’s sovereign hand to provide and direct you in ways that you could not accomplish on your own.

Only then can we say with confidence: Xoxo gossip girl! And experience full abundance in Christ.

Dear God,
Thank you for revealing yourself to us through the Scriptures. Thank you for making it abundantly clear that we cannot tame our tongue without your help! Thank you for letting us fully rely on you so that we may see you for your greatness and perfection. We ask that you help us submit to your Spirit so that we can be sanctified in your name and live according to Your Word.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.