Have you ever thought about how stubborn we often are — and how much it hurts us? Stubbornness makes us do things we shouldn’t do, and cuts us off from others (even those who want to help us) — simply because we insist on our own way and won’t admit we might be wrong.
But stubbornness also cuts us off from God, because it makes us refuse to seek His will or listen to His Word. Instead, we insist on going our own way — regardless of the consequences.
I often think of the people of Jeremiah’s day, who stubbornly refused to listen to his warnings and told him, “It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:12).
Stubbornness has its roots in pride — and because of this, it’s ultimately a spiritual problem.
But gossiping is also wrong because of the motive behind it. When we gossip, we aren’t trying to help anyone — far from it. Instead, we’re usually trying to call attention to ourselves — showing others that we’re “in the know” and important.
But this is wrong — both in God’s eyes and in the eyes of others.
Ask Christ to forgive you — and most of all, ask Him to rule your life, including your tongue. The Bible says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs” (Ephesians 4:29).
