Daily Delight

“I thought you should know what people have been saying about you.” 

Confusion. Hurt. Betrayal. 

These were the emotions I felt upon hearing that a rumor was spreading about myself and a male colleague. This man and I became friends because we worked well together and believed strongly in the work we were creating, but that was it. When the rumor reached him, he laughed it off in disbelief. But once it sunk in, he became upset. He was married with a family, and the gossip would hurt them.

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.” -Psalm 34:13 (NIV)

I work for a Christian company, so I was very surprised by the actions of the people gossiping and how they were wrapped up this lie. These were people with whom I worked closely and considered friends. Christians still sin, though, I reminded myself.

As the weeks went by, I struggled to put best self forward in my daily interactions at work. At one point, I wanted to confront them, but the Lord put on my heart to pause before I pounced. Then, He revealed two commands:

Check yourself. I began to examine my relationship with my friend and seek the Lord’s counsel if I’d done anything inappropriate. My boyfriend had no concerns when I shared the gossip with him because he trusted me and knew my friend was a good guy. I asked a couple of friends I trusted at work if they’d ever been suspicious of the two of us. They were baffled by my question and said absolutely not. Now, this step is hard. Even though we don’t want to believe we’re doing anything wrong, we need to talk it out with the Lord and see what He reveals to us about ourselves.

Forgive them. This step was even harder, but Jesus was by my side as I wrestled with the words. Once I let go and forgave, He removed those feelings of hurt and resentment. He reminded me that while we may often get caught up on the patterns of the world, my identity doesn’t come from what others say about me.

Our identity comes from what the Lord says about us.

{photo: @victorialemosphotography}

About the Author

Lindsay Weiskittel≫ ≫ Raised in the Mitten state, Lindsay’s love for the written word began at a very young age—in fact, you could often find her with a pad of paper, penning what she dreamed would someday become the next great American novel. After graduating college, a new adventure awaited in NYC, where she pursued a career in book publishing. Almost four years later, God called her back home to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she currently resides and works as a writer and editor. Many things bring Lindsay joy these days, including fellowship with her friends, cheering on the Michigan State Spartans, the perfect cup of Earl Grey tea and planning a wedding with the amazing man God designed for her.