I made some bad choices, and now the rumors at school won’t go away. I’m afraid a good guy won’t like me and I’ll end up with a jerk. What do I do?

Since you can’t always control what other people say about you, let’s take a look at what you can control:

First off, the only possible way that you will end up with a jerk is if you settle for one. Don’t be afraid that a “good” guy would not want you because of your past. If a guy judges you because of your past, then he’s not that good of a guy. If a man cares about you, he will be able to look beyond your past to see who you are today.

Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that the gossip will go away any time soon. While that may not be consoling to hear, your example of purity will gradually speak louder than anyone’s gossip. Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond the walls of your school or university, but don’t let the rumors hold you down. Your life is worth much more than the opinions of insecure people.

As you know, you will have to deal with your classmates as long as they’re you’re classmates. The more immature a group is, the more likely you’ll have to put up with gossip. But in one way or another, everyone has to deal with gossip. If we spend all of our energy trying to stop it, we’ll exhaust ourselves. So, instead of letting the rumors rob you of your peace, pray for whoever is spreading them, and forgive him or her. After all, people must be pretty miserable if they feel the need to soil the reputation of others in order for theirs to seem better.

In the meantime, make sure you don’t gossip. Be classy. Never say anything about another person that you would never say in front of him or her. The Scriptures tell us that we will render an account for every word we speak, and that everything whispered in private will be declared to all. So, make sure that you’re not committing the same fault of gossiping. In the end, the person who gossips about you will have the worse reputation, for tearing you down.

Also, choose friends who don’t gossip. After all, those who gossip to you will gossip about you.

Lastly, make sure to check out the videos at WomenMadeNew.com.