Do you sometimes find it necessary to speak ill of people? For the most part, I like everybody, but I’ll admit there are a few people whose personalities rub me the wrong way. For me, those are the people who I could easily find a sharp word for, or who I would have no problem running down to a friend. While it’s true that most of us will never get along with everybody, it is also true that much of the bad-mouthing we do to each other comes out of envy. It makes us feel bigger when we can take a big-shot (or at least someone we see as superior to us) down a notch or two. Unfortunately, it’s the ones who are doing the gossiping who are actually getting the bad end of the stick. For starters, we look smaller to the people we’re talking to, and we are in fact clearly tearing ourselves up inside because of our selfish and spiteful acts. “Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.” Matthew 27:17b-18 In Christ, PastorJimKilby @Kilbin8er Jim@JamesKilby.com