If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 1 Corinthians 6:1

Let’s face it, we live in a litigious society. Everyone wants to sue everybody else because the almighty dollar is involved. The only people who win with lawsuits are the lawyers who take big fat checks.

Unfortunately Christians aren’t above bringing a suit against another Believer either.

I go back to the teaching in John 13:35 – “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” If that’s your guiding principle, then you’ll overlook infractions and nuances of the law. At the very least you’ll go to the offending party and plead your case before handing it over to the uncaring, unbending courts.

There are many other legal battles that have gone outside the walls of the church, conflicts that could easily have been resolved from within.

(Just to be clear, though, I’m not referring to criminal misconduct, as those offenses should be prosecuted OUTSIDE the church walls.)

Pray for the leadership in your church. They are often faced with nearly impossible decisions regarding conflicts, and they need wisdom to resolve them.