Confrontation is difficult for most of us. We are uncomfortable with it. We aren’t sure if the risk is worth it. At times, we question our place to confront someone else, especially when some have used this passage to argue that we should not confront others. However, when we look closely at this passage, we see Christ clarifying the right way to confront someone, not forbidding confrontation.

Jesus said that before we confront someone else about an issue, we should examine ourselves in the mirror, looking for that issue specifically. We are not looking for perfection here, but hypocrisy. Are we about to share any wisdom that we have not followed ourselves?

We also must make sure our motivation for confronting the person is right. We confront a person for one reason: to help that person. In this way, our confrontation is a selfless act of love – we take on the risk solely for the other person’s gain. Because we care about others and we care about how they reflect the Gospel in how they live, we confront. We then hope and pray that they would do the same for us. 

• Whom might you need to confront for God’s glory and his or her good? Who has confronted you in the past whom you might want to thank and encourage for his or her love for you?