Matthew 18:15

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”

One of the wicked things we do is gossip about each other. When someone has fallen, failed or done something that’s wrong, rather than talk about it to someone else, we need to speak to the person involved directly. That’s what Scripture teaches. We need to stop discussing people behind their backs but talk to them face to face.

We need boldness and the fear of God, to be able to do this. People will offend us, deliberately or mistakenly. People will cause offense. May God give us the wisdom to know how to bring the issue to their notice, quietly and humbly, so that they are given the opportunity also quietly to make amends. Most importantly, may God resist in us, the fleshly desire to malign and backbite our brethren, even more so when we have not given them an opportunity to respond to us.

“Father, I know I have failed in this, and I earnestly pray for the humility and boldness to raise issues directly with my brethren before raising it with anyone else, in Jesus name I pray. Amen.”