The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright. (​Proverbs 29:27)
 
Our news is constantly filled with updates of Christians being killed, driven out of their homes and persecuted around the world. In our own country of Malaysia the Christian community faces persecution and discrimination, with restrictions on what words we can use in our publications or services or because of conversions.  And perhaps in our individual lives we have been rejected, disowned, sidelined, mocked or avoided because of our faith.  Often this surprises us and we feel pain injustice and humiliation.  Why does it surprise us?
 
In this Proverb the writer reminds us that there is a tension between the righteous and wicked who both detest each other. This is a tension which has always been present throughout human existence and still exists today.  Jesus himself warns us that as believers the world will hate us because we are no longer of the world.  As they hate and persecute Jesus so they will hate and persecute us (John 15:18-20).  We should therefore not be surprised when we are detested.
 
What should be our response?  Jesus reminds us, when he ate with tax collectors and sinners, that he has come to call, not the righteous, but sinners (Mark 2:13-17).  Whilst the wicked continue to detest the upright we can take comfort that because of Christ we are now called to love the wicked and dishonest.  Though we may despise their wickedness and the ways of the world we must remember that Jesus still loves them and calls them to repentance and faith.  Let us be people who, even in the midst of being detested, seek to love, pray for and point people to Jesus.
 

Ponder
As we reflect on God’s goodness to us through Jesus, remember that the Christian life will not be easy.  We live in a world of people who will despise us.  How can we love them and point them to Jesus? 
 
Practice
When the world despises you, do not be discouraged but seek to be a light in the darkness which points people to Christ.  What are some of the ways in which you can actively be looking for opportunities to love those who despise you?
 
Prayer
Father, thank you that because of Jesus I have been made righteous.  Help me to be set apart from the wickedness of the world.  Teach me to be a light in the darkness, loving unbelievers and pointing them to you.
 
 
 
Quotes
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
 
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
[Martin Luther King, Jr.]


Article written by Shanti George, Kuala Lumpur.

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. (Proverbs 29:25)
 
Today, more and more people become authoritarians and act violently in many different ways, and many fear and serve these people alone, thinking that such obedience to them brings security and peace to the society. 
 
However, the actual fact is that, such submission is unable to secure the well-being of the society or bring true peace to the world. Indeed, such fear of man becomes a trap to many people because it does not allow them to act in love or speak the truth in love to correct the wrongs for the well-being and safety of the society. This is because whenever there is abuse of power, exploitation, or corruption, many people are indifferent or afraid to investigate, reveal and subsequently stop what is wrong and stand firm for what is right.  Instead, they keep silent and this brings more harm to the society. Certainly, such bondage does not build a society for it does not deliver people from the chains of darkness.
 
What then can release people from such slavery and darkness? Trust in the Lord. When people put their faith in the Lord alone, they are strengthened by the Lord to follow his Word. With trust in the Lord, people will be led by the Holy Spirit instead of allowing others to control and direct them.  The trust in the Lord encourages people to speak the truth in love. Therefore, even if they might be in danger when they uncover and confront what is wrong, they are very sure that God is in control and they are safe in the eyes of God. They then dare to speak out, especially for those who have been abused and marginalized, to build a better world.
 
As disciples of Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life, are we willing to trust the Lord and truly believe that we are safe in his hands? Or do we fear man instead of trusting God?
 
Ponder
Do I fear man or fear God? Why?
 
Practice
What are the areas that I need more help from God to fear him alone? Reflect through and work on it.
 
Prayer 
Gracious and merciful Father, forgive me for fearing man instead of trusting in you alone. Help me to submit to you and fear you alone. Amen.
 
 
Quotes
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)
 
I'm a man of faith. I only fear God, and my wife - sometimes. [Lech Walesa]
 
I place no hope in my strength, nor in my works: but all my confidence is in God my protector, who never abandons those who have put all their hope and thought in him. [Francois Rabelais]

Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse. (Proverbs 28:6)
 
As a young girl I observed how the rich students in school were favoured by my teachers and the poor were neglected. I was told to study hard, earn well so as to be respected by family and society. Wealth was seen as blessing and poverty curse! As I grew up I found out that the Bible has a different message. This is pointed out clearly in the above verse that there is value in being poor with integrity while to be rich and crooked is not a lifestyle to be valued. Jesus emphasised this when he told the parable of “The Rich Man and Lazarus” (Luke 16:19-31). The Pharisees considered wealth to be a proof of a person’s righteousness. Jesus shocked them with the story whereby a diseased beggar is rewarded and a rich man is punished in the next world. The rich man did not go to hell because of his wealth but despite his great blessings he was hardhearted and selfish.
 
Does this mean the rich will not make it to heaven and the poor will? No, Jesus looks at our hearts and gauges our attitudes! He walked in this world in humility and obedience (Philippians 2: 6-8).  He wants us to be like him.  It is better to be poor and have these qualities than to be rich and lose our citizenship in heaven.
 
Many Christians gave up their wealth and fame to be witnesses for Jesus. One of them was Jim Elliot. In early 1952, Jim together with four others (Gates of Splendour Missionaries) set out to the unreached Amazon’s Auca tribe (Ecuador). Young and well-educated, they could have made it big in the United States but they decided to become poor missionaries. In January 1956, they were murdered by the Aucas whom they loved! They gave, as Jim had said earlier, “what they could not keep but gained what they could not lose”. Jim and his friends became martyrs and now stand as examples to the church not because of anything but because of their obedience.
 
Today, Jesus calls us to completely surrender ourselves and our possessions and be faithful to him. We cannot do this on our own but need the Holy Spirit to empower us so that we can be found worthy when he returns!
 

Ponder
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1)
 
Practice
"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." (Proverbs 23:4-5)
 
Prayer
Lord, deliver us from the temptations to lust after wealth, greed and power. Help us to remember that wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, greed is self-destructive and power corrupts. Instead, give us grace to be righteous, upright and selfless in the work of your church and your kingdom in the spirit of humility and servanthood. Amen. (Editor)
 
Scripture
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)



Article written by Pastor Nesam Ebenezer

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips. (Proverbs 27:1-2)
 
The many incidents which took place recently remind us that we cannot be too sure about what can happen to us tomorrow. There are too many people who boast about tomorrow. While serving in Kelantan, I met a man on the street. He asked me whether I can buy him lunch. I bought him lunch and started a conversation. I came to know that he was once a very rich man. He used to boast much about his wealth, wife and children. He was not worried about his future because he owned 3 supermarkets in Kuala Lumpur. He had maids to look after his wife and children, and was driven around. But, then came the 1997 economic crash. He lost everything. His wife left him, taking his children with her. He lost all his property and he was forced to leave the city and go far away. That’s when he met me. I provided for him food and gave him some money. I could discern his inner feelings with the help of God. He said, “Don’t boast with what you have, you can lose it all suddenly.” He used to come and help with the cleaning of the church and water the plants on and off, and then one day he just decided to leave.
 
I learned a great deal of things from him. His presence changed my outlook of life from that day until today. If I boast, I boast for the Lord. My motto, “I live only once. I want to live for the Lord and give my best to him.” None of us know what is in store for us tomorrow.
 
The year 2014 started with our Bible Society raided. None of us thought this will take place but it took place. We had one plane missing, a second one shot down, and a third one crashed during a ferocious storm. Then came the flood. Although the East Coast faced yearly flood, none expected a “Tsunami Type” flood. I had three loved ones who suddenly passed away; none expected. There were great plans but death took them away. The peace and harmony in Sydney and Paris were shaken with the massacre of innocent ones, out of the blue.
 
Beloved in Christ, our life is in the hands of God. We need to submit and draw close to him daily.  We do not know what is in store for us tomorrow but when tomorrow comes, praise God. God is there for us. The more we boast about tomorrow, the more we will be troubled when tomorrow comes. Trusting in the Lord about our tomorrow is the wisest thing we should do. Spending time with God through prayer, meditating on his Word and surrendering our lives to him will make a perfect tomorrow. May we be able to spend our time with God more and more and draw closer and closer to him daily and experience the inner peace, joy and happiness.
 
Ponder
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. [Corrie ten Boom]
 
Practice
God is asking you to entrust your tomorrows to him. Embrace his promises, “There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 23:18) Be assured that the Lord God holds your future safely in his hands.

Prayer 
I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from the sunshine, for its skies may turn to gray.
I don't worry o'er the future, for I know what Jesus said.
And today he'll walk beside me, for He knows what lies ahead
Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand                      
​[Song: “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” was written by Stanphill, Ira.]



Article written by the Rev Jacob George John

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. (​Proverbs 25:21-22)
 
At first reading, these 2 verses appear to be saying that, by being ‘nice’ to our enemy, we can be hurting him even more and therefore revenge can be so sweet. This proverb, found also in Romans 12:19-20, eliminates the idea of revenge. “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ ”
 
To us, today, the phrase, ‘heaping coals on his head’ seems to imply that we make our enemy physically uncomfortable and distressed. But to the Jewish mind, this phrase has a totally different meaning.  It has its roots in the rituals of the Day of Atonement when the high priest took his censer and filled it with ‘coals of fire’ from the altar of burnt offering. Incense is added to the coals to create a pleasing and sweet-smelling offering to the Lord. It is a picture of cleansing and forgiveness.
 
Again, in Isaiah 6:5-7 the prophet cried, “Woe is me …for I am a man of unclean lips.” In response, the seraphim brought a live coal and laid it on his mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Burning coals depict sin taken away and forgiveness given. Therefore, Proverbs 25:22 has to do with mercy and love – not revenge.  What we do to our enemy should bring him to repentance so that his sin may be forgiven.
In Matthew 5:44 Jesus said, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” The God we serve is a God of love and our lives must demonstrate this. The ultimate test is to love our enemies. In our world today, we face all kinds of challenges and problems.  It would be so easy to retaliate in anger and aim to hurt others as we have been hurt. 
 
Today’s passage reminds us of how we should respond as a Christian. May God help us to respond lovingly to our enemies so as to bring about cleansing and forgiveness.
 
 
Ponder
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.
[Martin Luther King, Jr.]
 
Practice
Jesus said, ‘love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6: 27-28)
 
Prayer
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12) Therefore, we should recognize that behind our flesh and blood enemies ultimately evil is at work.
 

 A Quote
We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. [Martin Luther King, Jr.]



Article written by A Anna, Petaling Jaya

If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? (Proverbs 24:10-12)
 
Anyone looking at life in general or in particular, the circumstances surrounding the world in which we live, must quickly come to the conclusion that we live in troublesome times. When something appears on our horizon, leading us to disquiet or to be disturbed, distressed or harassed, we recognize the need there is to handle what we experience. On the world scene there are wars and rumours of wars. We are reminded that we are not to be alarmed. (Mark 13:7) Within society, we see a breakdown in human relationships and when that becomes personal, we struggle to find a way through. With the Psalmist, we may have reason to say, ‘I am troubled greatly’ (Psalm 38:6).
          
For the Christian, there is only one way to turn. In the light of Psalm 46:1, we recognize that, ‘God is a very present help in trouble’ and again, ‘He is a refuge in times of trouble.’ (Psalm 9:9). The point at which we begin is simply an awareness of the greatness of our God and the power and grace of God shown through Jesus Christ to triumph against all adversities directed towards us at any time, but especially in times of our greatest need.
 
There is comfort and assurance in the words of Christ to his disciples and in effect to us; “Let not your hearts be troubled you. Believe in God, believe also in me…..” (John 14:1).
Many years ago, George Goodman, a well-known Bible teacher, experienced a mental breakdown which surprised all that knew him. No one could understand how a man of such great faith and knowledge and spiritual understanding, could become so incapacitated. Two years later, when he came out of that terrible experience, this is what he wrote:-
 
     He led me by a way of pain, a barren and a starless place,
     I did not know his eyes were wet, he would not let me see his face.
     He left me like a frightened child, unshielded in a night of storm;
     How should I dream, he was so near, the rain swept darkness hid his form.
     But when the clouds were drifting back,
     And dawn was breaking through into day,
     I knew his feet had walked with mine, I saw his footsteps all the way.
 
Ponder
‘Rescue those being led away to death’ (Proverbs 24:11) … “It was men who stopped slavery. It was men who ran up the stairs in the Twin Towers to rescue people. It was men who gave up their seats on the lifeboats of the Titanic. Men are made to take risks and live passionately on behalf of others.”
[John Eldredge]
                             
Practice
We don’t always know how God has protected us but we know that he is good.  Praise him! “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.” (Psalm 138:7) We are to defend others. Be courageous!                                          
 
Prayer
Our God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.
 
Under the shadow of Thy throne, Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defence is sure.
[Hymn (original version): Our God, Our Help In Ages Past, Isaac Watts, 1708] 



Article written by Rev Peter Atkins, Tasmania

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 23:17-18)
 
Have these thoughts come to your mind before? - If only I worked harder and spent more hours at work like my other colleagues, I would have gotten a better bonus. If only I knew people who could help me pull some strings like this other guy, I would have gotten that job. If only I had the money to renovate my house like my neighbour’s, I would live more comfortably. If only I had a husband as loving as she does, my life would be so much happier. If only my grades were as good as his, I would be able to enter that prestigious university. If only…
 
That is often our problem, isn’t it? Our eyes are often fixed on the people around us and we compare our lives to theirs. Envy is one of the results of sin that we still struggle with on a daily basis. But why is envy so dangerous that God warns us from his Word that we should stay away from it?
 
I think one of the reasons is that it causes us to doubt God’s goodness in our lives. We think that God owes us a good life especially when we do our best to serve him faithfully. We think that it is God’s job to make our lives comfortable, at least as comfortable as the life of the person next to us.
 
What we often forget when we envy others around us is that we have been so blessed by God! Paul understood this when he wrote in Ephesians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Yes, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing! God loves us so much that he gave us his Son to die on the cross for our sins, and as a result of that, we who believe in him can be called his children. And we have a glorious future hope – an eternal life with him.
 
So the next time you are tempted to envy those around you, fix your eyes on God and remember all the blessings that God has poured into your life because of Christ’s work on the cross. Celebrate all those blessings that God has given you in Christ.
 
 

Ponder
Think about all the spiritual blessings that are ours because of Christ’s work on the cross – i.e. the forgiveness of our sins, the privilege of being adopted as his children, the future hope of being in his presence for eternity.
 
Practice
Whenever you are tempted to envy those around you, pause and give thanks to God for all the blessings that he has poured into your life because of Christ.
 
Prayer
Father, thank you for blessing me with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Please teach me to celebrate and count my blessings each day.
 
 

A Quote
Envy is a symptom of lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self-worth.
Each of us has something to give that no one else has.
[Author: Unknown]



Article written by Wong Yoke Lin, Kuala Lumpur

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord. (Proverbs 21:30-31)
 
King Solomon, renown for being a great sovereign and full of wisdom, had seen and gone through most of life experiences. Here, he acknowledges that none can compare with Yahweh the True Sovereign. The wise king states that for men to execute their plans without God is to be doomed to failure.
 
There is a parallel in these two verses and here in the latter is an image of a horse groomed for battle.
 
The war horse is an animal of great strength and power but it has only one role. While prepared for battle, it still needs the Warrior Rider to harness its strength and steer it to the path of victory. Psalm 33:17 gives an apt description of the animal - a horse is a vain hope for deliverance, despite  all its great strength it cannot save. There is a saying that man may plan but it is God who executes. The ultimate victory rests with God and not on man’s efforts. “We must be in conformity to God’s will to be successful.” [Allen P. Ross, Expository Bible Commentary, Volume 5]
 
Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”  It is sheer folly for man to think otherwise. “Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counsellor......? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?” (Isaiah 40:13-14)
 
Ponder
That Fateful Day when our Lord Jesus hung on the cross, Satan thought his dark wisdom, insight and evil plan had worked, but that apparent defeat was in fact THE victory that rests with God. “Behold the Lamb upon a white horse, he returns in sovereign power….to rule and reign.” This is a line of a song based on Revelation 19:11ff
 
Practice
There is a Chinese proverb that says, when the horse dies, dismount and walk on. Never give up but walk in step with Jesus who will steer us to success.
 
Prayer
Sovereign Lord, grant us your wisdom and insight, humility and grace to aid us walk in step with you.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 
 
 
 
A Quote
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord! And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together. (Isaiah 31:1-3, ESV)




Article written by Pastor Peter Wong, Kuala Lumpur.

Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered. (Proverbs 21:13)
 
The cries of poor families who suffered loss of lives and livelihood in the recent land collapse and devastation at the Cameron Highlands in Pahang, Malaysia (November 2014) are not being heard. Instead, the victims of the tragedy are being blamed, while the rich entrepreneurs who have reaped huge profits from illegal logging and land clearing are not called to account. The words of the wisdom writers of Proverbs carry a fearful warning: “Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will also cry out but not be answered. The prophet Micah says, ‘Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them’. (Micah 3:4 KJV) They are not heard because their hearts are not in tune with the God of compassion and love.
 
Our God is a God who hears, sees, and acts. When the poor, the homeless, the destitute and orphans cry out, God says, ‘I will surely hear their cry … for I am compassionate.’ (Exodus 22:23,26 ESV) God sees the oppression of the poor and raises them out of the dust (Ecclesiastes 5:8). God says to his people, ‘There should be no poor among you’ (Deuteronomy 15:4 NLT).
 
In obedience, we as the church in Malaysia seek to serve the poor in our midst. Our Lord Jesus is our example and source of strength. For God, in Christ, comes down to us, identifying totally with the poor. Born in a stable, and living and ministering among the destitute, the sick in mind, body and spirit, Jesus says to us, ‘whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)  The stories of the poor can inspire. Lina, with her six children was turned out of her home and abandoned. When she sought help she was resourceful and hardworking. Now Lina is employed and her children are doing well. As a servant of Christ, Lina reaches out to help others.
 
Jesus invites us to participate in the work of the Kingdom. It is as our King that Jesus will say to us when we meet him: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)
 
     That little one you took in and loved, it was I,                        
     That hungry one you fed and helped, it was I,
     That homeless one you welcomed in, it was I.
                 [Adapted from words of Mother Theresa of Calcutta]
 
 
Ponder
To love God and neighbour is not something abstract, but profoundly concrete: it means seeing in every person the face of the Lord to be served, to serve him concretely. And you are, dear brothers and sisters, the face of Jesus.”   [Pope Francis, “Address at Dono Di Maria (Gift of Mary)” a homeless shelter within the Vatican, 21 May 2013]
 
Practice
How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s good and sees one in need and refuses to help? [1 John 3:17-18]
 
Prayer
With the poor as our prayer companions, we can surrender more easily and ask God for what really matters - first on their behalf and then for ourselves. Our prayer for ourselves will more freely become a prayer that we might be transformed to be better servants for others. It will lead us to ask the Lord to help us make our lifestyle simpler. [http://onlineministries.creighton.edu]






Article written by Deaconess Datin Dulcie Abraham, Kuala Lumpur.

​Proverbs 20:19
 
Gossip betrays a confidence
 
A gossip betrays a confidence;
so avoid anyone who talks too much.
 
We all know people who can’t keep a secret. Whatever you tell them in confidence is soon broadcast throughout the church. This proverb reminds us to avoid such people. This doesn’t mean we don’t love them, but it does mean we cannot trust them. At the same time, we need to examine ourselves for the same tendencies. We need to be careful to avoid gossip. People might enjoy listening to our juicy stories, but if they are wise, they will also learn from them not to trust us either.
 
In the New Testament, we are given more motivation to avoid this kind of behaviour. We worship God with all of our lives – including in our speech. The Apostle Paul’s nightmare was that he might come and find the Corinthian church to have discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder (2 Corinthians 12:20). This is, of course, out of keeping with a community of people who have been rescued by God through the blood of Jesus.
 
We do, however, need to give people room to repent and grow in godliness. A believer who was a gossip a few years ago might have now learnt to guard their tongue.  We should expect that the Spirit will be changing us into the image of Christ. We should be careful therefore, not to write off a person as a gossip based on past behaviour but to keep looking expectantly for evidence of change as the Spirit does his work.
 
Am I a gossip? Under what circumstances am I tempted to betray a confidence? Can I really say that my speech is to the glory of God? Always make a point of thinking before speaking.  If in doubt: don’t say it!

 
Gossip is the Devil's radio. [George Harrison]


Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. [Miguel Angel Ruiz]


May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight O Lord my rock and my redeemer. Amen.
 
 

 
 
 
 

Editor: Research shows that people who gossip the most have very high levels of anxiety. They are generally not particularly popular because they cannot be trusted. Spreading private information or negative judgments is painful to others and reflects poorly on the gossiper. Why do people gossip?
 
•    To feel superior. People who don’t feel good about themselves temporarily feel better when they judge others negatively.
•    Out of boredom. When people can’t generate interesting discussions based on knowledge or ideas, gossip can rouse people’s interest.
•    Out of envy. People gossip in order to hurt those whose popularity, talents, or lifestyle they envy.
•    To feel like part of the group. People gossip to feel as though they belong to the group. Yet, when acceptance is based on being “in on a secret,” it is not based on a person’s identity, but on exclusion or maliciousness.                  
     [Source: Alison Poulsen “Why People Gossip And How To Avoid It.”]