Some months later I found out that a Christian I had crossed swords with many years before had poisoned the brother’s mind against me with lies. Yet my “friend” never asked my side of the story. I thought about trying, but then remembered Proverbs 18:13 and concluded that it was not a “friendship” worth having.
So, please, please, please, the next time someone comes to you with a “story” about someone, don’t be so foolish as to believe it without asking for the other side. Instead, say, “I know you would not want me to be a Proverbs 18:13 fool, so would you mind if I asked this person for his/her side of the story?” That wouldn’t just be church-transforming; it would be world-transforming.
