“The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.” (1 Corinthians 6:7-8, NIV)
Paul says two very pointed things here. First he says that when believers take each other to court it is a sign that the church is in trouble. There are no wise people able to bring about reconciliation. There is no love between brothers that seeks peace rather than personal vindication.
Second he says that sometimes the best way to handle a situation is to let the matter drop. Even if you lose in the short term, forgive your brother and go on. Some things aren’t worth the argument. Release your brother from his debt to you and let God deal with him in his time.
That’s a hard path to take. Everything within us rebels against it. But it is more often than we imagine the best path.
Two verses from the book of Proverbs show us the way.
Proverbs 17:9, “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” (NIV)
Promote love by overlooking an offense or by going to your brother privately. Do not speak of your troubles to another until you’ve exhausted every effort to find peace one-on-one.
Proverbs 19:11, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” (NIV)
Do take any fellow believer to court. Do not rush to take your differences to the church. Be patient and if God gives you the strength and the wisdom to do so, drop the matter even if you’re in the right.
Do you agree that these are the things God’s word promotes? Then live by them. Seek peace and pursue it.
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