Everyone one of us has been wronged by another person. What do you do when you’ve been wronged? Do you seek revenge? Do you file a lawsuit and take them to court, or do you isolate yourself and sulk? How you process your hurt will dictate your future. The Apostle Paul suggests an alternative to when you’ve been wronged.
1 Corinthians 6:1-2
When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?
Stop the Scandals
So many people who are easily offended these days. The Greek word for offense is scandalon, from which we get our word scandal. Originally the word was used to refer to the bait used to snare a wild animal. Paul uses it to refer to anything that hinders our walk with God. Paul puts his foot down and tells the Corinthians that it is not the way it is supposed to be in the church. This had become a problem in the Corinthian church, and Paul wanted the leadership to handle things differently. When we go to court, it is already a defeat for the church and us because it destroys our witness.
Take a Different Path
People get so offended that they want to take a fellow Christian to court. They threaten people who don’t do what we want them to do. They are quick to sue people, hoping that the financial gain will set us for life. Parents go to court to fight over the custody of their children. All of these are examples of how Christians use the court system. The Bible says there is another way that believers are to handle their issues. They need to take it to the Elders of the church to settle the disputes. This will preserve the church’s unity and the witness of Jesus Christ.
When You’ve Been Wronged
How do you handle it when another Christian has wronged you? Paul tells us to take a different path, suffer the wrong and move on. Has someone stolen from you? Count it as a loss and move on. Don’t return a wrong with a wrong. Don’t be guilty of the same offense that was done to you. Forgive the person and focus on what is essential. These skirmishes can consume our lives and take our minds where they don’t need to go. Let’s live a righteous life and prepare for eternity.