Allison Bies on "Resisting Gossip"

Allison Bies is an avid reader who writes book reviews for her church's website: Arlington Countryside Church in the Chicagoland area.

This week, Allison posted an encouraging review of Resisting Gossip:

I started reading with the mindset of, “I don’t really struggle too much with gossip.  I guess I gossip from time to time but not enough to do deep damage.  Perhaps I will pick up a few tips on how to be less critical with my words.”  Within a few pages, my attitude changed to understand how prevalent gossip actually is in my life.  ...  My thinking transformed to, “Maybe I should wear duct tape over my mouth 24/7.”  Thankfully, believers should seek a balance between silence and excessively careless words.  Always focused on the gospel, Mitchell discusses why Christians should seek to eliminate gossip and use words in a positive and God-honoring way.

She lists a number of takeaways from reading it and concludes with this heartening paragraph:

I feel encouraged that Christians can make a difference in the world by resisting gossip.  Our words are powerful, and God wants to use us in the lives of people with whom we interact.  Since reading this book, I have been more aware of what I say, and I pray that by God’s enabling, I would be wise, selective, and affirming with my words in 2014.

Amen. Thanks, Allison, for your review!

Read the whole thing.