Drama!

This is actually a post that I typed a few weeks ago on my phone, but then I thought it was deleted. I just found it in my list of posts saved as a draft. Praise God for autosave :)

I'm going to talk about drama today. I feel that as a teenage girl, I am fully qualified to discuss this topic. I've had my share of drama, but I'm very happy to say most of it occurred when I was younger, like 10-13 years old. These days I stay out of most drama because I know how pointless it is.
Honestly, drama is just what the word describes- people being dramatic, or in other words- overreacting about something. The bible says we should be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to anger. "Drama" is what results when we fail to follow any of these. If only we were empathetic and gracious with each other all the time, there would be far fewer broken friendships.
Think about it this way. When someone is rude to you, does that make it fair to be rude back? Of course it does. Seriously, that would be the "just" thing to do. But as Christians, we're supposed to forgive over and over again, no matter what the offense. Grace isn't fair, which is what's so amazing about it. Let's show the world that we are different by rising above the blame game and revenge.
Gossip is one of those things that I would respond to with the verse, "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial." Nothing good can come out of gossip. It might pass some time, but it's certainly not going to strengthen any relationships (even the friends you're gossiping with may not trust you anymore), and you could end up starting fights or nasty rumors. It's also a sin. We're not supposed to slander, which is basically saying bad things about a person. Don't hurt someone's reputation with or without them knowing. It won't make you look any better.
All I'm really trying to say is this. Drama revolves around immaturity and cruelty. It's the easy way out. Don't take that road, please. Do hard things. Stand up for a friend in a way that isn't judgmental, but uses kindness to put a stop to unkindness. Oh, and as you try to resolve conflicts in a mature way, make sure you're actually resolving them and not simply ignoring them. There's a find line between resolving conflict and simply confronting someone and expecting them to change and apologize. Be the change you want to see. Try to influence people with godly actions, and if you must talk with them, show all the low and forgivness of Jesus, because He really does love them.