6 Practical Ways to Stop Gossip

6 Practical Ways to Stop Gossip

Pam Consuegra shares the following advice when facing the rumor mill:

1.  Choose—yes, it is a choice!—prayer over gossip. Pray for others every time you are tempted to tell their story.
2. Then someone tells you something you don’t want to know, don’t allow curiosity to be your guide. If you don’t listen, you break the cycle of gossip. Remember, if they will spread gossip about others, they will spread it about you!
3. Don’t repeat information unless it’s helpful to do so and you have a vested interest in the situation, the people involved and their permission to share. Even a prayer request is not a good excuse.
4. Don’t confess other people’s sins, even if the wrong included you and you feel the need to confess. Share your story, but no one else’s.
5. Don’t repeat something you don’t know firsthand is true; secondhand knowledge is not enough to justify repeating. You will get something wrong and it will hurt others.
6. Keep the circle of confession limited to the people involved or to no more than necessary for accountability purposes. The wider the circle and the more the story is repeated, the more likely things will turn into gossip.

Source: Adapted from Ron Edmondson, “7 Ways to Stop Gossip,” Aug. 27, 2010, ronedmondson.com

Read more about what the church is doing to address gossip in the April Underscore article.

Graphic from istock

Read and share these other articles from the April Visitor:
Feature: Love Me Tender
Underscore: How Are We Addressing Gossip?
Peggy Lee Departs Her Favorite Port of Call—CURF
Editorial: Parable of the Lost Band
5 Tips for Approaching Missing Members
6 Practical Ways to Stop Gossip
Creating a Path Home: Williamsport Church Member Seeks After Missing Members