Gossip girl (part one - first impressions are everything)

I've finally introduced my boyfriend to the wonders of Downton Abbey. He actually loved it - although he'd never admit it. I have the first three series and I've watched them multiple of times. I know all the characters and their secrets, but Chris doesn't - this is all new to him. As we settled down to watch the first ever episode I was itching to tell him all about Thomas and his secret life and the other characters and what they get up to (especially Mary...) but I also didn't want to ruin it for him. That wouldn't have been fair. He would have had this expectation of the characters as soon as I had said anything about them, he would've had his opinion made far too early before he could decide on it himself.

The problem is; gossip and bitchiness is very much like this. We ruin other people's perceptions of people before they even know them. We destroy any chance of independent thought because we have already made a conscious effort to make what we think about them. There are many people I know who I know things about that I just shouldn't know. People whose names I can barely remember seemingly have their past etched onto my mind due to the act of someone else.

    I'm not saying for one minute that I don't do this - I do struggle with it. I also often give the excuse of 'but I'm a girl' but that doesn't work. Our gender shouldn't define what we are in a negative way. As girls of God we should endeavour to change people's perceptions of women. We shouldn't fall into gossip or bitchiness. It doesn't help, encourage or build anyone. We stop people's access to knowing other people because they are so warped by the things that we have said. We shouldn't ruin the character of someone else but let people make their own decision.

Imagine if someone introduced you with all your sin attached. You would be hated and ashamed. This should never be the way, if people don't know you, they don't need to know what you've done. So this shouldn't be the case for anyone else.

Gossip genuinely hurts and destroys. Peoples first impressions leave an impact - so let it be from them and not from you.