Family Business Must Stay in the Family

1 Corinthians 6:1 "When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers." NLT
"If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints?" NIV

      Dearest Lord and Savior, from the time of Abraham and Moses we see that You have set up systems for Your people to judge Your people. When You came to us in bodily form, You charged the leadership in the church to judge within the brethren.  Sadly, in our day most church leaders are not willing to settle disputes or deal with sinful behavior within the church so believers end up in civil courts.  The unbelieving world looks on and says, "They are no different than we are.  Why would we want to be like them?" 
      One of my dear pastors once said that if his wife or one of his children did something wrong, we would never hear about it from him.  He refused to "air his dirty laundry out for everyone to see".  They would deal with it within the family.  What sage advice that was!   Wives and husbands would not bad-mouth each other to others and parents would never complain about their children to anyone outside their immediate family.  Would any of us want our sins to be displayed out for others to see?  Of course not!  The Golden Rule still applies!  Oh, that our families within the churches would do the same.
      Oh, Lord!  I know I cannot be responsible for anyone else's actions.  But today I pray for our Christian families and the greater Family.  I pray that neither my actions, nor the actions of other Family members would be the reason for an unbeliever to turn away from You.  Lord, please give the Church leaders wisdom and courage to deal with issues within the church and to judge rightly and lovingly so we might be a bright light in this very dark world.