~ "Pssssst..."

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (Rom 2:1)

Well, that's a hard one to swallow! And we are all guilty of it - if we live in the real world and interact with people, we pass judgement on someone else, whether we want to or not!

If we partake in gossip, let drama into our lives or share our opinions on someone with others - we are passing judgement. That makes us sinners. The key to this one is to ask forgiveness and make an honest and conscious effort to avoid it. "But how" you may ask...focus on what is good, what is right. Don't seek out the negative in a situation or a person. Walk away from the negativity and turn your heart towards Jesus. Those cute little keychains and doo-dads a few years back that were imprinted with "WWJD" seems like a logical answer to that question. It never easy to walk away from what has become so comfortable in our lives. Drama and gossip become just as much part of our routine as brushing our teeth and combing our hair.

I try not to be a part of the idle gossip that works its way into my life, but I am not always successful. Innocent conversation between me and a friend is often in judgement of the actions of a third party. I often don't realize that I am gossiping when I do it. Its a mindset I need to work on moment by moment, each and every day. It is not my job to judge the thoughts or the actions of anyone.

There is an upside to drama and gossip ~ let it be GOOD gossip ~ talk about the good aspects of a person, share the positive and not the negative - the results will amaze you! What may start out as an exercise in futility may turn out to be a goal achieving accomplishment in turning your heart around! The old adage "if you can't say something nice about someone" just may prove to be the saving grace you've been praying for!