Have you ever noticed that when someone shares about a person they know who is the “worst boss/most awkward/dumbest/meanest/insert negative characteristic” that people usually chime in with an equal or worse example?

Picture this scenario…

You’re in a conversation and someone starts sharing about this boss of theirs who is a jerk, about how awful it is to work for them, blah, blah, blah.  Then someone, maybe even you, butts in and says, “Oh, I had a boss in college who was worse!  They were the worst boss ever!…”

It’s like we try to equal or better someone’s worse experience and it’s always two things.

1. It’s at the expense of someone who isn’t there to defend themselves.
2. It’s a negative characteristic, rarely a positive one, that we highlight and it’s usually over-stated.

News flash: that’s gossip and it’s pretty twisted.

Why do we do that?

Why do we highlight the bad characteristics over the good ones?  When was the last time you heard someone share about a great co-worker and you just had to share about the incredible co-worker you had back in college?  You might have experienced that at one point but it probably hasn’t happened nearly as often as when we focus on the negative.

When it comes to talking about the more awkward, the ruder, the harsher, the more selfish, the creepier, the more boorish, and all these other things, what are we hoping to accomplish?  What’s the point?

I’m just as guilty as the next person when it comes to this but I want to change.  I want to focus on the good qualities that I’ve seen instead of the bad ones that have influenced me.  It’s healthier.  It’s more joyful.  It’s having my own focus changed from what sin has corrupted in others to what Christ has created in them.

We may know someone “worse” but are we trusting that God’s growing them to be someone better?