Stay Away from Gossip

 

“A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.”

Proverbs 16:28 (NLT)

 

This verse is saying that gossip isn’t just small talk — it actually causes problems. It spreads hate and can break trust between friends. When we gossip, we’re not just talking about people; we’re hurting them and even hurting ourselves because we’re injuring our relationship with God. 

So what exactly is gossip? Gossip is when we talk badly about someone, share rumors, or even make up stuff about them. And I know sometimes it can feel kind of exciting — like we’re in on something “juicy” — but the truth is, it can really hurt people. God’s Word reminds us that gossip only brings trouble. It spreads hate, breaks trust, and can even make us feel proud or better than someone else when we shouldn’t. It might seem harmless, but it’s actually dangerous for our hearts and for our friendships.

Proverbs 11:13 (NLT) says, “A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.” This verse is saying that when we gossip, we’re showing people they can’t really trust us. But when we choose to keep someone’s secrets, we’re showing that our hearts are strong and trustworthy. Being someone people can count on feels good, and it honors God too. Trust isn’t just about keeping secrets — it’s about showing love and respect for others. And in turn, they give that same honor and respect back to us. 

If you find yourself gossiping, pray about this, because it’s not good for you. Ask our Heavenly Father to help you stop. Gossip doesn’t please Him, and it can pull us into sin without us even realizing it. When we enjoy talking about other people in a negative way, it shows that our hearts aren’t in the right place. But God can help us change. If we ask Him to guide our words, He can help us say things that are kind instead of spreading rumors.

So to wrap it up, we should always try to stay away from gossip. Instead, we can ask God to help us keep our hearts kind and our words helpful. When we do that, we protect our friendships, stay out of trouble, and show God that we want to honor Him in how we talk about others. 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Stay Away from Gossip”, written for aheartforchristdevotions.blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Letting Go of Bitterness

 

When someone feels bitter, it usually means they’ve gone through something painful that left them unhappy inside. When we as Christians feel this way, it can be a sign that the enemy has tried to attack our peace and trap us in negative emotions. But God never wants us to stay stuck feeling upset or numb. Instead, He wants us to come to Him in prayer and let Him heal our hearts.

Ephesians 4:31–32 (NLT) says,
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

This verse reminds us that bitterness and anger don’t belong in our hearts because they aren’t part of God’s Will for us. Our Heavenly Father created us to love, share, and live like Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. 

Romans 8:29 (NLT) says, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothersand sisters.” When we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we became God’s children and were called to live like Him.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NLT) tells us, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” When we choose to act like Christ, we bring glory to God and show others His love. And when we live this way, something amazing happens inside of us — we feel more peace, more joy, and more of God’s presence in our hearts. That’s what happens when we live the way we were created to live — bringing glory to God by being more like Jesus every day.

So, we must stay alert against the enemy’s attacks and keep our faith strong in God. When we start to feel bitter, angry, or overwhelmed, we can remember that those feelings don’t come from Him. Instead of holding on to them, we can turn to God for healing and choose to act like Christ—showing love, forgiveness, and kindness. That’s how we honor God, live in peace, and let His light shine through us. 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Letting Go of Bitterness”, written for aheartforchristdevotions.blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Growing Strong with Jesus Christ

 

2 Peter 3:18 (NLT) says, “Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.” This verse reminds us that following Jesus isn’t something we do once and then stop. It’s a journey, and God wants us to keep growing in Him. When we grow closer to Jesus, we start to understand His love better. We can see His plans more clearly and open ourselves up to new blessings that come from living for Him.

Growing with God is so important because when we stay in the same spot too long, our hearts can start to drift from Him. Think of it like this—if you stop practicing a sport or an instrument, you don’t grow, and over time you lose your skill. The same is true spiritually. If we stop learning, praying, and spending time with Jesus, our relationship with Him won’t be as strong as it could be. But when we keep moving forward—even in small steps—our hearts stay close, our faith stays alive, and we stay ready for whatever God wants to do in our lives.

Hebrews 5:12 (NLT) says, “You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.” This verse reminds us that growing in Christ is like growing up. We aren’t supposed to stay small in our faith. Just like a baby needs milk before they can eat solid food, we need to keep learning and practicing God’s Word so we can get stronger in Him. When we do, we can help others too and show what it looks like to really follow Jesus.

When we don’t grow, there can be consequences. Just like we gain blessings when we follow God, we can miss out if we stay stuck. Life can start to feel off—grades might slip, our responsibilities get harder, or things just get crazy and don’t feel right. Now, growing with God isn’t just about getting blessings—it’s also about keeping our lives lined up with Him so we can love Him the way He deserves, and be strong in Christ.

Our goal is simple: we need to keep growing with God every day. Pray when you feel stuck, read His Word to learn more about Him, and take little steps to follow Jesus in everything you do. Growing spiritually and increasing our faith isn’t always easy, but every little bit counts. As we grow, we start to notice changes in how we think, how we treat others, and how we handle the hard things in life. God is shaping us from the inside out, and the more we trust Him, the stronger and closer to Him we become. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Growing Strong with Jesus Christ”, written for aheartforchristdevotions.blogspot.com by Kraiapril©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

The Fruit of the Spirit

 

When we give our lives to God through Jesus Christ, His Spirit starts working inside of us, helping us become more like Him. God’s Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and He produces very good things in us. The Bible calls this “the fruit of the Spirit.” It’s not something we can earn or fake—it’s something God grows in us over time. Philippians 2:13 (NLT) reminds us, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

That means the good things that come from our lives—like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are proof that God is working in our hearts. He wants us to grow the Spirit’s fruit because He wants His peace to live in us and shine through us.

This also shows us that anything in our lives that doesn’t look like these fruits—anger, jealousy, selfishness, or unkind words—aren’t from God. They’re distractions or influences from darkness that can pull us away from Him. Galatians 5:16 (NLT) reminds us, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” When we let God guide us, He helps us replace the things that hurt us or others with the Spirit’s fruit.

So we should always try to let all of these fruits show up in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—so we can serve God the way He wants us to. When we focus on growing these things in our hearts, it helps us stay away from desires or feelings that aren’t from Him. Galatians 5:25 (NLT) says, “Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” When we do that, our lives start to reflect Jesus more and more, and that’s exactly what God wants for each of us. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“The Fruit of the Spirit”, written for aheartforchristdevotions.blogspot.com©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!