I saw the strangest thing the other day. I got in my car to run some errands and as I pulled out of my driveway I saw a vulture in the road. I’m talking about a real vulture, you know, the kind that is in the Disney movie “The Jungle Book.” I didn’t even know that vultures lived in my neck of the woods. I thought they lived in some far off distant land but not anywhere nearby. Well, no matter where they really live, this vulture was sitting in the road in front of my house.
There was also a dead squirrel in the road. I’m talking dead dead. You know, rotting dead. It had been there for a while. Now this vulture, who apparently smelled this rotting squirrel from his home somewhere very far away, was enjoying a meal of rotten flesh right in front of my house! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I slowly pulled out of my driveway, staring at this strange sight in the road.
The vulture looked up from his meal and gave me the strangest look. Not one of fear or timidity. Not one of aggravation or even aggressiveness. He looked at me as if he were thinking, “This is really good – come get a bite!” I laughed out loud at this sight and then drove off, watching the vulture continue his meal in my rear-view mirror.
Then a thought struck me. How often are we like that vulture, feeding on something that is absolutely rotten? Proverbs 18:8 says “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” You see, gossip is like that rotten squirrel. We hear a juicy bit of gossip, and the first thing we do is take a big bite of it and look around for someone to share it with. We become the vulture picking off the rotten flesh and eating it – like choice morsels.
It tastes good at first but it’s like swallowing rotten meat. It’s so easy to gather around “a dead squirrel” with other believers and feast on a bit of gossip in the name of “sharing a prayer request about someone.” Ephesians 4:29 says “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Wow! That doesn’t allow for any vultures to gather does it? Our words are to benefit others and encourage them. Our words can bring healing or our words can add negativity to any conversation.
Instead of feasting on the rotten squirrel with the other vultures, use your words to help, to bring healing and peace, and to benefit those who listen. Philippians 4:8 says “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” So the next time gossip comes to your door, make the choice not to be a vulture. Don’t take a bite and then share it. Remember the vulture in the road.
Make the most of your Journey!
