Caring Enough To Confront

Caring Enough to Confront

We urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

1 Thessalonians 5:14

When Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.

Galatians 2:11

If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.

Galatians 6:1

We see something in someone else that bothers us—maybe that person said or did something wrong, or maybe he or she has a habit or an attitude that is unflattering or annoying. Oftentimes our first urge is to tell someone else about it—and maybe laugh a little or start running down a list of that person’s faults. But is that what a person does who loves as Christ loves?

When we see or hear about something another person did wrong and we’re tempted to talk to someone else about it rather than talking to that person directly, we have the opportunity to live out Christ’s love. If we’ve seen another person’s weakness or fault, we should give that person our encouragement and support, not critical gossip. When someone we have a relationship with sins, he or she needs someone who cares enough to lovingly confront that sin with humble biblical counsel.

Talking to someone about another person’s faults brings only a short-lived sense of satisfaction to our sinful human nature. Satan fools us into thinking that as we try to knock someone else down, it somehow makes us look better. But it doesn’t work that way. Instead, our gossip hurts us, the person we shared it with, and the person we gossiped about. While it might feel safer to talk about people rather than talking to them, it’s really not safe at all. Gossip destroys relationships and reputations. So what’s the alternative? Instead of gossiping, we can choose to lovingly confront someone. It will take courage and humility, but it will be worth it.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What does it mean to gossip?

Jesus was often blunt in confronting people about sin, yet we know he did so in perfect love. Can you think of some examples of times he did this?

Why do you think gossip is so harmful? What are some things you can do when you feel tempted to spread or listen to gossip?