How to Hear and Settle a Disagreement

Every preacher and worker who remains in the work of the Lord very long is at some time and point called upon by two of the brothers or sisters to settle a matter of dissatisfaction between them. The preacher or worker in this case is to take the place of an attorney, jury and judge. Therefore, he stands greatly in need of Divine assistance. In the following lines, I shall attempt to offer a few suggestions on how to settle such disputes.

1. We must hear each party's side of the case with an unprejudiced mind, and without showing the least partiality; if not, we will there and then lose the confidence of them both.

2. We must have each person relate his side of the story to us in the presence of the other. However, we must not allow the other person to interrupt until the first one has finished, or else it will cause a confusion.

3. Do not hastily jump to any conclusion; but take lots of time to pray over the matter, so as to obtain God's clear leading. It would be well to remember the words of the Lord Jesus at this point: "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (Matt. 7: 2),

4. In forming our final decision we are not only to weigh the matter simply from each person's testimony, but from the spirit they exhibit in our presence while discussing the matter. It was the lack of love for the child that revealed to Solomon the fact that the woman who so rudely contended for it was not its mother.

5. In handling the matter between the two parties we ourselves are to be very careful to avoid speaking or dealing with either of them in a hard, harsh, or rabid spirit; if not, we will fail to accomplish the desired end.

6. If we succeed in getting the matter settled between them, we are never to mention it to any person in the world, but must there and then bury it forever.