*Warning: Rant in Progress*

Gossip can be an ugly thing.  The word ‘gossip’ is not often used at our house, but a particular phrase ABOUT gossip is used all the time:

If it’s not yours to share, don’t share it.

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I have heard far too many conversations lately where people were sharing someone else’s news.  Maybe it wasn’t news that was mean to be confidential, but it’s still robbing the rightful person of their chance to share the news.

I’ve heard things spoken about under the guise of prayer requests that never should have been shared by the person saying them.

I recently heard an example of this in a public place, and the person was sharing relatively personal information that wasn’t his to share.  It was going to be shared in just a short time, even, in the same public place, by the person who’s news it was.  The other person knew that it was going to be talked about and still chose to share about it before it was properly shared by the actual person involved.

I. Was. Livid!  I felt like the news was cheapened by this pre-emptive sharing, and that it was really unfair of the person to have stolen the opportunity for announcement from the rightful person.

It has happened in our house with our children.  Someone has a particularly interesting thing happen to them and they share it with the siblings.  Then when Dad comes home from work, one of the other kiddos shares the interesting thing before the one who’s news it is even has a chance to get the words out.

It’s just not fair.

When you share what isn’t yours to share, you’re stealing opportunities, you’re stealing (or at the very least borrowing) someone else’s glory, you’re stealing someone else’s right to share their own information.

Don’t you like to be the one who shares your favorite stories first?  Don’t you enjoy the opportunity to share special news of your own, when and where and in whatever manner you choose to do so?

There really is something special about being able to share our own stories.

If you have permission to share someone else’s story, and you’re sharing it for the purpose of lifting them up, giving them the credit for something, and not to make a point for yourself or to make yourself look good, then it’s possible that you can maybe share that story in an appropriate manner.

If you don’t have permission to share someone else’s story, DON’T share it!  That goes for BIG news or small news, for everyday stories or milestone stories, for (seemingly) trivial things or monumental things. Get permission before you say anything.

If you share something, even seemingly trivial things, that isn’t yours to share, the question of what ELSE you’re sharing will almost certainly come up.  If you’re willing to borrow someone’s glory on a little thing, what else are you going to share if there is more in it for you with a bigger story?

Just because a story or some news was shared with you and others in public does NOT mean that you can rebroadcast that information at will.  It is STILL the other person’s news.

I understand that this may be hard to get your head around because doing this kind of thing is EXTREMELY common in our culture today.  Nobody even gives it a second thought. Few people even call it gossip anymore. Nobody is paying attention to this.

But this is what has gotten my attention so strongly about this: seeing the light of excitement in BudBud’s eyes fade while he listened to MrCutie sharing with Dad the story of BudBud’s school day; seeing a disappointed little girl who’s very special testimony was shared before she even had a chance to share it for herself; seeing a grown woman’s shocked and hurt expression when she discovered that LOTS more people knew about her situation than she had ever shared the information with…

It’s not fair to borrow someone’s glory.  It’s not right to share someone else’s story.

If it’s not yours to share, DON’T SHARE IT!

*Rant Complete… for now*