Jesus addressed this issue for us. Let's take a look.
If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.The first and foremost step that you must take is found in verse fifteen. You must go to your friend, in a loving way, and tell her what you've heard that she supposedly said about you.
(Matt. 18:15-17 NIV)
This must be done privately. Most people will repent when they are confronted in love. I've noticed that people say many things under pressure, or due to wrong perceptions of others.
This is not a legitimate excuse for speaking evil about another, yet we must realize that people are imperfect. If this first step doesn't work, the last two steps should be followed.
If your friend repents, then you must forgive her and treat her like she never did you any wrong (Luke 17:3-4). Regardless of the outcome, you need to forgive your friend for your own spiritual well being (Matt. 6:14-15).
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Joe Cameneti Sr. is the lead pastor of Believers Church, located in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. Pastor Joe, along with his wife Gina, pioneered Believers Church in 1983 following his graduation from Bible School.
In addition to leading a thriving local church, Pastor Joe is the host of a weekly show called "BCTV." The program is aired locally, reaching over 30,000 people each month.
Pastor Joe is a gifted communicator, skilled in the art of building bridges to unchurched America. Transparent and authentic, you'll walk away challenged and encouraged to connect with God in a deeper way.
