I remember clearly the first time I was badly slandered at work. A colleague had gone to my manager behind my back and severely criticised me. I was furious when I found out - I went into another room and literally shook with anger for several minutes.

That was a few years ago. I get far less upset by this sort of thing nowadays. I’ve come to realise that slander is (sadly) a normal part of office life. Work is often a competition. If you look worse, I look better. So people slander their workmates, they criticise and complain about them behind their backs.

What does God say about this? Quite a lot. In Romans 1, slanderers are listed next to “God-haters”. The book of Proverbs says, “whoever spreads slander is a fool”. James says, “Brothers, do not slander one another…who are you to judge your neighbor?” And in 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us that slanderers will not enter the kingdom of God.

God hates slander, so we should not do it. And there’s a pragmatic reason to refrain as well. In my long experience, slander usually gets back to the victim. Eventually they find out who is bad-mouthing them - and then you have created an enemy. I’ve seen some nasty work situations develop from this.

Instead of using our tongues to curse, let’s use them to bless. Praise those you work with. Praise them to their faces, and praise them behind their backs. Let them know you appreciate their work. Make it your goal to never run anyone down, but to always give them the benefit of the doubt. You will be amazed at what an impact this can have, and it’s a great opportunity to be salt and light in your workplace.